Steel Dominate Third for 7-3 Win over Dubuque
March 19, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
DUBUQUE, IOWA - After tightly contested first and second periods, the Chicago Steel (28- 10-3-1; 60 pts.) scored four unanswered third-period goals to distance themselves from the Dubuque Fighting Saints (15-19-2-0; 32 pts.) and capture a 7-3 victory at Mystique Community Ice Center in Iowa.
Steel forward Matt Coronato picked up his second hat trick of the season with goals at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded. The Huntington, N.Y., native extended his league lead to 39 markers in 40 games played this season.
Sean Farrell added to his list of Steel scoring records, claiming sole possession of first place in single-season assists in Chicago franchise history, surpassing former Steel forward Nick Abruzzese (Steel 2017-2019) who held the mark with 51 helpers. Farrell now has 54 assists in 41 games this year.
Chicago goaltender Jack Stark picked up his eighth victory of the season with a 28-save performance, matching his season best.
With the Fighting Saints attempting to claw back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the extra jump belonged to the home team out of the gate. Dubuque went up by two before the midway point of the opening frame, controlling the majority of play.
Fighting Saints forward Daniyal Dzhaniyev got the scoring started for his club after a rush down the left side of the Steel defensive zone. The former Team USA skater took a bank pass off the boards from Max Montes and flipped a wrister past Stark.
Just three minutes later, Dubuque added to the advantage with a goal from defenseman Ian Pierce. The Dartmouth College commit stickhandled his way through the Steel defensive zone, putting a shot on net that trickled through to the back of the net.
A penalty kill from Chicago helped cool down the Fighting Saints attack late in the opening frame, the first successful PK in a 4-for-5 (80%) overall effort.
Josh Doan salvaged a goal with just 16 seconds remaining in the first, batting a puck out of mid- air with his stick just below the crossbar for his 23rd goal of the season.
After being outshot 17-8 in the first, Chicago climbed its way back into the game with a two-goal second period.
The scoring in the middle frame began with a beautiful passing play from Mackie Samoskevich.
The University of Michigan-bound forward powered his way past a Dubuque defender, wrapping a pass back to Matt Coronato on the right side of an offensive rush, tapping home his first of the game.
A power play goal for each team rounded out the scoring in the second period.
Dubuque reclaimed the lead with a tally on the man advantage from Andrei Buyalsky. On the power play, Buyalsky drifted in front of the Chicago crease, getting his stick on a pass from Stephen Halliday to redirect home his 12th marker of the campaign.
The Steel answered with a power play marker of their own just over a minute later.
After being high-sticked to draw the man advantage, Chicago blueliner Ian Moore knotted the game at 3-3 with his eighth tuck of the season. The Harvard University commit used passes from future Harvard teammates Coronato and Farrell to gain ground in the right circle, firing a wrister from near point-blank range to beat Fighting Saints goaltender Hobie Hedquist.
With his second helper of the game, Farrell registered his 52nd assist of the season giving him the Steel single-season record.
The Steel accelerated the offensive attack in the final frame, adding four goals to finish the Friday night faceoff.
Farrell once again worked his offensive magic, this time on the penalty kill, as he stickhandled in the left corner of the Steel offensive zone, flipping a backhand pass across the ice that found Coronato in the right circle. Coronato unleashed a wrister for his third shorthanded tally of the year, tied for the second-most in the USHL.
Coronato switched sides of the ice for his third goal of the game. After catching another pass from Farrell, Coronato gathered the puck in the left circle and lasered a wrist shot high to Hedquist's glove side, giving Chicago a 5-3 edge.
The Steel continued to pour it on with markers from Sam Lipkin, his second of the year, and Ryan Ufko, his 10th marker of the season, before the final buzzer sounded on a 7-3 road win.
The Steel became the first team in the league to reach the 60-point mark in the standings with the victory.
Chicago's special teams units enjoyed a 2-for-5 (40.0%) night on the man advantage and the team's fifth shorthanded goal of the year while being outshot overall 31-23.
Both teams make the trip to Fox Valley Ice Arena for a rematch of Friday night's contest for a 7:05 pm CT puck drop on Saturday, March 20.
The Steel welcome fans back to Fox Valley Ice Arena with a 25% capacity limit when Chicago hosts the Green Bay Gamblers on Friday, March 26. The Steel will unveil the first Anderson Cup Champions banner in franchise history before the game, awarded to the 2019-2020 team after finishing the regular season as USHL champions with a 41-7-1-0 record (83 pts.).
Chicago Steel games can be heard on Mixlr at http://mixlr.com/chicago-steel/ (AUDIO) and video may be streamed on available devices through HockeyTV at www.hockeytv.com (VIDEO).
Chicago Steel Upcoming Games presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Saturday, March 20 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints (7:05 pm CT) presented by Meyer Signs and Graphics
Friday, March 26 vs. Green Bay Gamblers (7:05 pm CT) presented by Waubonsee Community College
Saturday, March 27 vs. Team USA (U18) (7:05 pm CT) presented by Waubonsee Community College
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
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