Steel Pull Away from Dubuque, Earn 6-3 Road Win
December 4, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
DUBUQUE, IOWA - With five goals over the final two periods of the game, the Chicago Steel (15-4-4-0; 34 pts.) defeated the Dubuque Fighting Saints (11-5-2-2; 26 pts.) by a 6-3 margin on Saturday night at Mystique Community Ice Center, splitting the two-game weekend series between the clubs.
Nick Moldenhauer, Jackson Blake, Lukas Gustafsson, Jayden Perron and Joe Miller each registered multi-point games with a goal and an assist. Luke Levandowski added a goal of his own and rookie netminder Christian Manz turned away 29 shots from Dubuque, improving his record to 2-0-0-0 between the Steel pipes this year.
Chicago took an early lead on a miscue from the Fighting Saints in the opening frame, quieting the Saturday night crowd.
Levandowski picked up the loose puck on an attempted defensive zone exit by the Fighting Saints, circled back on the attack and fired a wrister past Fighting Saints netminder Philip Svedback for his fourth goal of the season.
Despite being credited with just three shots on goal in the opening frame, matching a season- low in a single period this year, the Steel held the lead until Gabriel Lundberg netted a pair of goals to put Dubuque ahead.
On the doorstep after being set up with a pass from Riley Stuart, Lundberg tucked his first goal past Manz from the left side of the net.
Just three minutes later, Lundberg was once again set up by Stuart, this time on an odd-man rush. Stuart flipped the puck from right to left as Lunberg beat Manz with a wrister.
The Steel did the majority of their damage in the middle frame after a critical penalty killing sequence.
Facing nearly a minute and a half of a 5-on-3 shorthanded situation, Manz shut the door on multiple chances as the Steel PK unit survived the dangerous chances from Dubuque's third- ranked power play.
Riding the wave of momentum from the special teams performance, Jayden Perron tied the game with his sixth goal of the year, extending his point streak to five games.
Teaming up for an aggressive forecheck, Perron and Moldenhauer hounded the Fighting Saints, eventually winning the puck as Moldenhauer slipped a feed to Perron who fired a one-timer past Svedback from just inside the right circle.
Just past the midway point of the second, Lukas Gustafsson helped the Steel take their second lead of the night off an offensive-zone faceoff win.
The puck worked around the perimeter from Andon Cerbone to Gustafsson who connected with a long-range slapshot from above the right circle.
Separating Chicago with just under five minutes to play in the second was a partial breakaway from Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jackson Blake.
Gustafsson served a pass forward, sending Blake by himself from the blue line in. Blake's patient backhand-forehand move beat Svedback, putting the Steel ahead 4-2 with his 10th marker of the year.
The Fighting Saints cut the deficit to one goal early on in the final frame. On nearly a mirror image of Chicago's goal from Lukas Gustafsson, Dubuque defenseman Lucas Olvestad rocketed a shot from the right circle after an offensive zone win by the Fighting Saints and puck movement around the perimeter.
With the score 4- 3, the USHL's leading scorer had a chance to tie the game for Dubuque as Stephen Halliday broke in alone on Manz, but the first-year netminder was equal to the task, kicking away an attempt with his right pad.
Just over a minute after the clutch save, the Steel extended the cushion to 5-3 with an odd-man rush from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Miller and Moldenhauer. In the Steel offensive zone, Moldenhauer fed Miller, then caught a pass and slipped his fourth goal of the season past Svedback.
With six minutes to play, the Steel had an opportunity to put the final nail in the coffin on a power play but could not capitalize, going 0-for-3 (0.0%) on the night with the man advantage.
Following the penalty kill, Dubuque picked up its offensive attack but Manz and the Chicago defense stifled the Fighting Saints for the remainder of the game.
Miller capped the scoring with an empty net goal on an assist from Sam Lipkin to seal the 6-3 victory for Chicago, putting an end to a brief two-game losing skid.
The Steel hit the road for a matchup against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders at ImOn Ice Center in Iowa on Friday, Dec. 10 with a 7:05 pm CT puck drop.
The next chance for Steel fans to catch the team on home ice is Saturday, Dec. 11 when the Steel take on the Muskegon Lumberjacks for Winterfest presented by Illinois Aviation Academy with Special Jersey Auction to benefit Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association.
The Steel will be wearing one-of-a-kind red jerseys with white shoulders and a white border on the waist that turns into snowflakes as it raises towards STEEL spelled out of metal plates with a string of Christmas lights intertwined. The game-worn jerseys will be signed by each individual player and awarded to the highest bidder with the online auction running from Thursday, Dec. 9 through Thursday, Dec. 16. After the game, fans are invited for a Post-Game Skate on the Fox Valley Ice Arena ice surface.
Tickets start at just $10 and are available in person at the Steel Box Office at Fox Valley Ice Arena, by phone at 855-51-STEEL and online at chicagosteelhockeyteam.com. The Steel now offer single-game ticket discounts for kids 12 and under and military.
Steel games may 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).
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Home Games presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Saturday, December 11 vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (7:05 pm CT) Winterfest presented by Illinois Aviation Academy with Special Jersey Auction to Benefit Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association | Post-Game Skate
Saturday, December 18 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7:05 pm CT) Scooby-Doo Night | Family Pack Game
Thursday, December 30 vs. Madison Capitols (6:05 pm CT) GIVEAWAY - Steel Lunchbox Cooler
United States Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2021
- Third Period Rally Not Enough to Knock off Sioux City - Omaha Lancers
- Saints Split with Steel Saturday - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Steel Pull Away from Dubuque, Earn 6-3 Road Win - Chicago Steel
- Stampede Top Black Hawks to Earn Weekend Split - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Hawks Fall, Dodge Shutout - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Tresca Pots a Hat Trick, Lumberjacks Take Game 2 over Cedar Rapids in 5-2 Win - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Kyle Smolen Reaches 100 Game Milestone - Fargo Force
- 5 Things: Stars Beat Down Sioux City - Lincoln Stars
- Tri-City Seeks Bounce Back Win against Stars - Tri-City Storm
- Barrage of 3rd Period Goals Lifts Caps over U17s in Series Opener - Madison Capitols
- Phantoms Comeback Falls Short in 4-3 Loss to Green Bay - Youngstown Phantoms
- Lancers Take Down Tri-City in a Barn Burner - Omaha Lancers
- Offense Flexes Its Muscle as Saints Take Down Steel - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Dubuque Tops Steel 7-3 Friday Night - Chicago Steel
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