Steel Square off with Buccaneers and RoughRiders
November 20, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - With nearly one-third of the season behind them, the Chicago Steel will take to the road and take on the Des Moines Buccaneers on Friday, November 22 at 7:00 pm CT followed by the weekend finale against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Saturday, November 23 at 7:05 pm CT.
The Steel will return to home ice to close out the month and host the Madison Capitols on Saturday, November 30 at 6:05 pm CT, a night of Thanksgiving weekend fun. Fans are invited to stick around after the game for Full Team Post-Game Autographs.
The Steel (6-11-2-0, 14 pts.) and the Buccaneers (5-10-1-0, 11 pts.) have already met twice this season, with Friday's matchup the final scheduled game between the two this season. After a 5-2 Chicago victory to open the season on Sept. 20, Des Moines got the better of the two teams a month later in Geneva, a 5-4 victory that handed the Steel their fifth consecutive loss at the time.
Chicago battled Lincoln, the top team in the Western Conference, last weekend and were swept in the two-game series. The Stars held the Steel off the scoreboard in a 7-0 win on Nov. 15, but Chicago bounced back the following night, keeping Lincoln on its toes despite falling 8-5. Owen Tylec led the Steel scoring efforts with a goal and an assist while Ryder Betzold recorded his first goal of the season.
The young forward core for the Steel stayed active despite the losses last weekend, including Will Tomko, who scored his fifth goal of the year. In the last five games, Tomko has tallied three goals and 12 shots on goal.
Cue the weekly note for Ashton Schultz, who entered the Steel spotlight almost immediately after his arrival via trade in early October. The rookie forward scored a goal and tallied seven shots in the loss on Nov. 16. Schultz has scored a point in six of his last seven games. In that span, he has four goals and four assists totaling eight points. His nine points rank third on the team, and he has produced 36 shots, also the third-best on the team in three fewer games than most of his teammates.
Chicago's penalty kill allowed Lincoln to convert on seven of their nine opportunities. The Steel rank 15th of 16 USHL teams on the penalty kill at 72.1% and have allowed opponents to score a power play goal in seven consecutive games. In those seven games, opponents have converted on over half (14-for-27, 51.9%) of their power play opportunities.
This weekend provides a chance for the Steel to recalibrate against teams that have also been in a rut. Des Moines has dropped consecutive games and resides in last place in the Western Conference. On home ice, they have won just twice (2-8-0-0) and have not outshot an opponent.
Cedar Rapids sits three points behind Chicago in the East in seventh place and has dropped eight of their last ten outings. They have the second-longest active losing streak in the league.
The Buccaneers dropped consecutive games during a home-and-home series against the Dubuque Fighting Saints last weekend. Dubuque won the first contest in Des Moines 7-2 on Nov. 15 and snuck away with a 4-3 overtime win on Nov. 16. The Buccaneers scored the tying goal with just 1:41 left in regulation to force overtime. Andrew Clarke scored two goals for the Buccaneers and goaltender Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau stopped 30 of 34 shots in the overtime loss.
Des Moines was without leading scorer Ben Kevan when they met the Steel on Oct. 20 due to a suspension, but the second-year forward hasn't missed a beat since returning to the lineup. In the last five games, the NHL Draft prospect has potted two goals and an assist and has posted 17 shots on goal and a +4 rating. In 12 games, he has 12 points on six goals and six assists with 43 shots on goal.
Jack Kernan follows just behind Kevan in scoring with 10 points (5G-5A) in 16 games this season. He has two power play goals and a team-leading 48 shots on goal and has two goals and two assists in the last four games. He has 13 shots in that span and is a +2.
Andrew Clarke's multi-goal game last weekend was his second of the season, his other a hat trick on Oct. 25. Clarke has scored all five goals over two games this season.
The Steel are 45-25-2-4 all-time against Des Moines and 20-15-2-1 on the road.
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (5-10-0-1) have recorded just one win in their last eight games. They were handed a pair of losses by Youngstown with a 4-0 shutout on Nov. 15 and a 5-3 defeat on Nov. 16. Heath Nelson tallied two goals and an assist in the loss while goaltender AJ Reyelts stopped 27 of 32 shots.
Amine Hajibi enters the weekend as the top scorer for Cedar Rapids with 13 points (5G-8A) in 14 games. The veteran forward had a superb start to the season, scoring seven points in the first four games of the season, but has since cooled down. In the last three games, the Northeastern commit has tallied two goals and two assists while posting 11 shots on goal, a game-winning goal and a power play goal.
As a team, Cedar Rapids ranks in the bottom half of the league in goals for per game and is 12th in goals against at 3.25 per game.
The Steel are 53-55-5-4 all-time against Cedar Rapids and 24-29-3-2 on the road. Chicago finished nearly perfect against the RoughRiders last season with a 3-1-0-0 record. The last matchup between the two teams saw the Steel hold Cedar Rapids scoreless in a 5-0 victory in Geneva on Mar. 23, 2024. Current defenseman Hudson Gorski recorded a goal. The two will meet next for a home-and-home that starts in Illinois on Dec. 13 at 7:05 pm and finishes in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 14 at 7:05 pm CT.
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.
Season ticket plans are on sale now, starting at just 5 games for $50. Season ticket plans are built on flexibility as fans have the option of choosing their own games throughout the season with multiple benefits including season ticket gifts and special events.
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.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, November 22 at Des Moines Buccaneers (7:00 pm CT)
Saturday, November 23 at Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7:05 pm CT)
Wednesday, November 27 at Green Bay Gamblers (7:05 pm CT)
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