Steel Drop 6-3 Decision Against Buccaneers
November 22, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
WEST DES MOINES, IA - Despite tying the game in the second period after trailing 2-0 and 3-2, the Chicago Steel (6-12-2-0, 14 pts.) couldn't silence the Des Moines Buccaneers (6-10-1-0, 13 pts.), who went two-for-three on the power play and scored three unanswered goals to come away with a 6-3 win at MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex Friday night.
Henry Major tallied his first career goal in the opening frame for Chicago while Kolin Sisson scored twice, both times on the power play for his eighth and ninth goals. Goaltender Louka Cloutier made 32 saves in defeat.
The Steel had a strong chance in the first period with a three-on-one led by Major carrying on the right wing. Major sent a pass to Aidan Dyer at the left wing but his one-timer rolled off the heel of his stick and whistled wide.
The Buccaneers got the scoring started just before the halfway point of the opening frame after creating a turnover on a Steel breakout attempt. Chicago got up to the redline before the Des Moines forecheck stripped the puck, allowing Peyton Blair to skate in down the left wing and wrist a shot above Cloutier's glove to put the home team up 1-0.
Chicago went to work on the game's first power play, and Adam Valentini nearly converted on a strong one-timer look from the slot, but Buccaneers goaltender Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau made a strong left pad save and followed up with a complex right shoulder stop on an Owen Tylec wrist shot 20 seconds later.
Shortly after Chicago's chance on the power play, Des Moines got its chance on the advantage and slowly chiseled away at the Steel penalty kill, eventually earning a goal.
With an extended stay in the attacking zone, the Buccaneers got a good look one minute into their power play when Jack Kernan fired a shot from the left circle. The initial shot missed and deflected at the back door of the crease where Andrew Clarke got the final touch to extend the Des Moines lead.
Chicago emptied the tank late in the first period and got on the board with 30 seconds remaining in the frame. With the puck deep in the Buccaneers end, Des Moines attempted to clear, but the puck took a strange bounce off the end-boards, allowing Ryder Betzold to collect and flip into the slot for Major who fired home his first career goal.
Five minutes into the second frame, Des Moines was issued its second penalty of the game, and the Steel made it count. After clearing the zone, the Buccaneers tried to get a fresh unit onto the ice, but the Steel caught the opposition in the midst of a change. Luke Goukler dropped a pass at the right half-wall for Sisson, who released a blistering snapshot that beat Seguin-Lescarbeau over the left shoulder to tie the game at two.
Three minutes later, a Steel turnover in their end gave Des Moines an immediate dangerous chance, and they capitalized when Reese Shaw dished a pass from just above the icing line to Yaroslav Bryzgalov in the slot who scored to put the Buccaneers ahead again.
Immediately after the Buccaneers goal, Will Tomko got behind the defense on a breakaway chance but was turned aside.
Des Moines was again penalized later in the frame, and the momentum-building man advantage for the Steel pounced again.
The fourth power play chance started strong for Chicago as they immediately pressured the Des Moines defense. After fanning on a shot from the right circle, Goukler regathered and fired a pass cross-ice to an open Sisson who one-timed his second goal of the night to tie the game a second time, this time at 3-3.
The momentum was short-lived as Chicago was assessed a penalty just over a minute later and Des Moines scored on another fortuitous bounce. A one-timer by Ben Kevan from the left circle missed wide but bounced off of Jacob Jastrzebski at the back door who collected the puck and fed it home to make it 4-3.
The Buccaneers made it a two-goal lead just one minute into the third period when Jack Kernan sent a puck down the ice for a pending icing, but a miscommunication by the Steel allowed Ryan Seelinger to get to the puck first and score.
The buzzing forecheck of the Buccaneers continued to pester the Steel, and five minutes into the third, Des Moines got a breakaway chance but Cloutier made a timely glove save.
At the halfway point, Cloutier added another highlight reel save with a wicked two-on-none stop.
Des Moines added one final tally after Seelinger weaved through the Steel defense and got to the slot before losing possession of the puck, but Brittan Alstead crashed in and fired past Cloutier to make it 6-3.
Chicago will close out the weekend against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:05 pm CT.
The next home game for the Steel is Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6:05 pm where Chicago will host a night of Thanksgiving weekend fun against the Madison Capitols. All fans are invited to stick around after the game for Full Team Post-Game Autographs.
All Steel tickets are digital, and fans are encouraged to purchase online in advance at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
For a limited time, fans can purchase the Steel Holiday Plan which includes one ticket to Chicago Blackhawks Night, two additional Steel games of your choice, and a ticket to one Chicago Blackhawks Game (either January 13 vs. Calgary or January 20 vs. Carolina). The package costs just $55.
Group tickets and experiences, suites and other premium areas, including the Coors Light Chill Zone and Ice Side Tables, are also on sale now.
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL.
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