Steel Fall to Lancers 6-4 Friday
Published on March 2, 2018 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - The Omaha Lancers (31-11-2-1, 65 pts.) capitalized on a pair of four-point performances from Filip Suchy (2-2-4) and Noah Cates (1-3-4) to defeat the Chicago Steel (20-19-1-4, 45 pts.), 6-4, in a back-and-forth battle Friday night at Fox Valley Ice Arena.
Chicago received goals from four different players, including a team-leading 21st tally from Jack Dugan, and three defensemen - Matteo Pietroniro, Graham Lillibridge and John Spetz.
Omaha opened the scoring 7:50 into the game after Lancers defenseman Jesper Peltonen converted on a one-time wrist shot past Steel goaltender Justin Robbins' blocker. The play started when Suchy's attempted pass careened off a Chicago player and found Cates, a Philadelphia Flyers prospect, who fed Peltonen for the goal.
The Steel answered back on the power play with a goal from Pietroniro at 7:34. Samuel Bucek played a game of give-and-go with Steel captain Derek Daschke before finding Pietroniro alone at the right point. Pietroniro fired a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net, beating Lancers goaltender Vincent Purpura over the blocker.
The teams combined for three more power-play tallies and four total goals in the second period with Chicago drawing first blood. Just before the halfway mark of the period, Lillibridge sent a pass along the blue line to Baker Shore. Shore connected a crisp feed to Dugan in the left circle, whose one-timer found its way past a sliding Purpura at 9:39.
Omaha answered back less than two minutes later thanks to Jack Randl, who pounced on a rebound and deposited the puck over a sprawling Robbins.
The Lancers regained the lead with 1:27 to play in the second when Suchy recorded his first of the night. Michael Maloney and Cates exchanged touches on the puck before a no-look, backhand pass from Cates landed right in Suchy's wheelhouse for the one-timer.
Just 40 seconds later, Lillibridge tied the game, bouncing a shot from the high slot through traffic and past Purpura's glove with 46.1 seconds remaining before the second intermission.
Three straight Omaha goals in the final frame proved to be the difference. It began five minutes into the period when Cates' wraparound found space along the ice on Robbins' glove side. Omaha then extended the lead to two with 5:25 to play in the game when Suchy added his second of the night and team-leading 28th goal of the season.
Travis Mitchell scored an empty-net goal for the Lancers with 2:02 to play to put the Lancers up three before Spetz got a goal back for Chicago with 10.5 seconds remaining with a shot from inside the right point.
Both teams struck twice on the power play with Omaha finishing two-for-three and Chicago finishing a perfect two-for-two against the USHL's top penalty-killing team. Robbins finished with 33 saves for the Steel.
Chicago's only all-home, three-game weekend continues with College Night on Saturday when the Steel host the Sioux Falls Stampede, featuring a $10 ticket offer for college students with valid ID. The game will feature an update on Steel players now competing at the NCAA level and promotions such as a ramen noodle eating contest, a Steel college commitment match game and more.
Closing out the weekend is A Day for the Trolls on a Steel Family Sunday against the Youngstown Phantoms. The 3:05 p.m. game features a post-game Skate with the Steel, as well as the Steel Family Pack offer - purchase four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas (or waters) and four chuck-a-pucks starting at just $48. The package must be purchased in advance and is not available on the day of the game. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 855-51-STEEL, stop by the Box Office at Fox Valley Ice Arena or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 2, 2018
- Stars Secure Overtime Win over Waterloo, 3-2 - Lincoln Stars
- Stars Edge Hawks in OT - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Stampede Top Bucs in Shootout - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Phantoms Battle to 5-3 Win over Madison - Youngstown Phantoms
- Steel Fall to Lancers 6-4 Friday - Chicago Steel
- Storm Fall at Home to RoughRiders 4-1 - Tri-City Storm
- Phantom Menace - Madison Capitols
- Gamblers Fall at Home - Green Bay Gamblers
- Saints Weather the Storm, Edge Lumberjacks - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Lancers Edge Steel, 6-4 - Omaha Lancers
- Durham Makes 48 Saves, Leads Dubuque Past Muskegon - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Phantoms to Hold 2018 Selection Camp and Tryouts May 24th - 28th - Youngstown Phantoms
- Preview: Storm Host Cedar Rapids for "Pack It in Purple" - Tri-City Storm
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