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USHL Chicago Steel

Steel Rally Late But Lumberjacks Take Game 1

April 17, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release


MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN - The Chicago Steel scored twice in the final 9:38 of Game 1 against the Muskegon Lumberjacks but could not find a third as Muskegon won 3-2 at L.C. Walker Arena on Monday night, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 First Round series of the 2018 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs.

Erik Urbank and Jack Dugan scored for Chicago and Oskar Autio made 38 saves. Game 2 is set for Tuesday at 7:15/6:15 p.m. CT and the Steel must win to keep their season alive and force a deciding Game 3 on Wednesday. The entire First Round series is on the road at Muskegon.

Wyatt Bongiovanni opened the scoring for the Lumberjacks just 3:05 into the game. Autio stopped an initial chance from Muskegon center Jachym Kondelik, but the rebound bounced to Bongiovanni along the right wing, and the Quinnipiac commit snapped a quick shot through Autio's five hole as the goalie slid through the crease.

The Lumberjacks doubled their lead 10:06 later when Nolan Sullivan tipped a Bray Crowder point shot past the blocker. Sullivan was skating away from the net when Crowder sent a shot in on Autio, but Sullivan was able to get the tip of his stick on the puck to send it past the sliding goalie.

The Steel trailed 2-0 at the first intermission and were outshot 19-5 in the process.

Autio denied all 18 shots faced from the Lumberjacks in the second period as the game remained 2-0 in favor of the home team at the second intermission. Chicago fired 11 shots in the second period but remained blanked by Muskegon netminder Keegan Karki.

Urbank got the Steel on the board at the 10:22 mark of the final frame to cut the Lumberjacks lead in half. After Chicago defenseman Derek Daschke blocked a point shot from Crowder, he fed a pass to an open Urbank along the right wing, who skated in with space and rifled a far-side wrister past Karki's blocker.

Muskegon answered with the eventual game-winning goal when Kondelik scored at the 12:18 mark. Capitalizing on a Steel turnover, the 6-foot-6 power forward slid the puck past a sprawling Autio, who was at the top of his crease to cut down the angle, after a pass from Lumberjacks forward Vincent de Mey.

After Autio was pulled for the extra attacker with 3:13 to play and Chicago trailing 3-1, Dugan scored at the 17:48 mark to cut the deficit to one. Blake McLaughlin created a turnover to the left of Karki and slid a pass to the front of the net where Dugan fired a wrist shot past the blocker.

The Steel brought Autio back to the bench to return to extra-attacker play but were unable to find the equalizer. Neither team found the net on the power play with the Steel going 0-for-4 and the Lumberjacks 0-for-2. Muskegon outshot Chicago by a 41-27 margin, including just four shots from the Lumberjacks in the third period in a hard-hitting playoff opener.

Fans are encouraged to visit the Playoff Hub on ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com for updates throughout the 2018 Clark Cup Playoffs. All Steel game broadcasts are carried live on Mixlr (free audio) and HockeyTV (iPPV). For broadcast links and information, visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com/broadcast. For more Steel information, call 855-51-STEEL, stop by the Box Office at Fox Valley Ice Arena or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.

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