Steel Host Sensory-Friendly Game this Sunday
November 29, 2023 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - A special weekend is on the horizon Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3 as the Chicago Steel take on the Madison Capitols and USA Hockey NTDP U17 at Fox Valley Ice Arena, featuring the second annual sensory-friendly game, Celebration of Inclusion with a great ticket offer for families.
Saturday at 7:05 p.m., the Steel will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the movie Elf where fans will be selected to partake in Elf Trivia and a Present Unwrapping Contest as well as Buddy's Burp Contest and other fun contests.
Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. is the second annual Celebration of Inclusion, presented by Rising Lights Project and Laura Henrikson-Realtor.
Many individuals with sensory sensitivity issues find it difficult to attend sporting events due to loud music and noises, flashing lights, and other overbearing elements. To accommodate for those individuals, the Celebration of Inclusion night will feature a sensory room, limited loud music, no goal horns with ASL celebrations, and limited flashing lights. Select videos played on the videoboard will also feature closed captioning. Accessible seating is available as well as accessible ADA parking.
The Steel has partnered with Rising Lights Project for the second season in a row. Rising Lights Project aims to connect those who are differently abled with the Fox Valley community and show the ability in disability.
"We love hosting inclusive events in our community," said Jaimie Valentini, Founding Executive Director of Rising Lights Project. "Providing fun experiences for families impacted by disability is a vital part of who we are, and we cannot wait to celebrate!"
Valentini founded Rising Lights Project in 2020 after seeing the challenges families impacted by disability face day to day, along with the obstacles most adult individuals find in their local communities. Through the organization, those impacted by disabilities can thrive and enjoy new opportunities to stay engaged and connected.
Sunday is a Steel Family Pack game where fans can get four tickets, hot dogs, chips, sodas/waters and chuck-a-pucks for just $60.
The Steel will play on the road on Friday, December 1 at 7:05 pm CT against the Madison Capitols before returning home.
Last weekend, the Steel (5-11-1-1) took on the league-leading Fargo Force and were held scoreless in consecutive games for the first time since the 2017-18 season when they were shutout on Nov. 25, 2017, 4-0 at the Green Bay Gamblers, followed by a 3-0 loss on Dec. 1, 2017 at the Des Moines Buccaneers.
After riding a five-game point streak, the Steel have dropped three consecutive games and have allowed at least five goals in each of the losses.
Similarly, the Madison Capitols (9-6-3-2) enter the weekend on a three-game skid of their own. Last weekend saw Madison take on the Muskegon Lumberjacks and drop both games in extra time.
Nov. 24 was a 3-2 shootout loss for the Capitols, with forward Andrew Kuzma scoring both of Madison's goals. The Lumberjacks scored with 3:29 left in the third to force overtime.
A late penalty in overtime handicapped the Capitols, but they survived to get to a short-lived shootout as Lumberjacks forward Matvei Gridin scored the only goal in the third round to win it.
Nov. 25 was a similar feat for Madison, though it was the Capitols who scored late in the game to force overtime. With their net empty, Aiden Long scored with 1:09 left in regulation to tie the game at three and secure a point. The Lumberjacks scored 2:43 into overtime to win 4-3 and sweep the weekend.
Madison's penalty kill was a perfect 9-for-9 in its two games against Muskegon. Conversely, the Capitols scored just once on 12 advantages.
Capitols forward James Hong, in his first season with the Capitols after two years with the Waterloo Black Hawks, has been firing on all cylinders. The Californian has scored in nine of his last 11 games and has 11 points in that span. Currently on a four-game point streak, Hong had a two-point night on Nov. 25 and ranks third on the team in points.
The Steel are 41-12-4-0 all-time against Madison. The home-and-home series is the third and fourth games of eight total between the clubs this season. The last meeting was a haymaker-filled battle as the Steel came out on top 9-7 in Madison on Nov. 10. Joey DelGreco scored the first Steel hat trick of the season, and Michael Hage had four assists as each scored five points in the game. The Steel are 21-6-3-0 on the road all-time against Madison and 20-8-1-0 all-time at home.
USA Hockey NTDP (6-9-0-1) has won just three of its last ten games.
The U17s did manage to earn a point from the Fargo Force on Nov. 17 in a 3-2 shootout loss a day after the U18s handed the Force its first regulation loss of the season.
The NTDP played in Youngstown on Nov. 24, its first matchup at the Phantoms since a 12-goal onslaught in September and kept it much closer in a 5-4 loss. USA scored with four minutes left in the third to get within one but couldn't find the equalizer. Jack Murtagh and Cullen Potter each scored a goal and an assist.
The Thanksgiving weekend contest in Youngstown started a season-long seven-game road span for the U17s, who won't play at home at USA Hockey Arena again until Jan. 12.
After losing his first three games, goaltender Harrison Boettiger has held down the fort with a win and a shootout loss in his last two games. Boettiger recorded the only shutout for USA this season on Oct. 27 against the Madison Capitols, making 29 saves, with every one of them counting as USA won 1-0 in overtime.
Boettiger played in net for USA's shootout loss against Fargo on Nov. 17 and weathered a forceful storm, making 27 saves on 28 shots to help the team steal a point.
Defenseman Charlie Trethewey leads the team in overall scoring this season with 19 points (6G-13A) in 20 games. The Boston University commit has played nine games in USHL play of those 20 and has notched three assists.
Rookie forward Will Moore follows closely behind Trethewey with 18 points (8G-10A) in 18 games on the year. Moore has recorded a point in eight of the last nine overall games played and three in his last four in USHL play. In nine USHL games this season, Moore has recorded three goals and three assists and has a goal and an assist in his last two.
The Steel are 50-31-7-5 all-time against the NTDP. Sunday's game is the first of six games between the Steel and NTDP this season. The Steel won the 2022-23 finale against USA on April 2, 2023 in a dominating 7-3 victory at Fox Valley Ice Arena. Steel alumnus Mack Celebrini recorded two goals and two assists in the win for Chicago. The Steel are 28-12-5-2 at home all-time against USA.
Single-game tickets are on sale now, starting at just $10. All Steel tickets are digital, and fans are encouraged to purchase online in advance at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
For a limited time, the Steel are offering the Holiday Hat Trick ticket pack which includes one ticket to the team's December 30 game, plus an additional ticket to two games of your choice, plus a Steel foam puck hat.
Group tickets and experiences, suites and other premium areas, including the team's new Ice Side Tables, are also on sale now.
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, December 1 at Madison Capitols (7:05 pm CT)
Saturday, December 2 vs. Madison Capitols (7:05 pm CT) | 20th Anniversary Celebration of Elf
Sunday, December 3 vs. Team USA NTDP (3:05 pm CT) | Celebration of Inclusion presented by Rising Lights Project and Laura Henrikson Realtor | Steel Family Pack Game
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