Steel Sweep in Pink and Purple!!

This weekend the Chicago Steel hosted their sixth annual Puck Cancer Event. The Steel came out strong to earn their fifth weekend sweep of the season. 

On Friday, the Chicago Steel welcomed the Cedar Rapid RoughRiders to the Edge Ice Arena. Chicago went into to this game looking to decrease the gap between Cedar and themselves.

During the first period, neither team was able to capitalize, ending the period at 0-0.

In the second, the RoughRiders came out strong. Two minutes, 17 seconds into the period, Andrew Oglevie scored, putting Cedar ahead 1-0. A little over two minutes later Drew Smolcynski got a power play goal tying the game at one, with Tyler Heinonen getting the assist. Within a matter of six minutes Tyler Hill and Biagio Lerario both netted unanswered goals, ending the period 3-1. Jaccob Slavin, Tyler Hill, Mackenzie MacEachern all registered assists during the second.

In the third, both teams were scoreless for the first eighteen minutes of play. With 2:26 left in the game Cedar Rapids pulled goalie Michael Rotolo hoping to tie the game and send it to overtime. However, that was short lived when Alex Roos scored an empty netter, making the final score 4-1. Christian Neumann and Michael Holland both recorded assists.

 

During the sixty minutes of regulation, the Steel killed off six power plays and outshot the RoughRiders 30-29. Chris Nell made 28 saves in the contest.

Following the game on Friday, the Steel hosted an autograph session. Ray Pigozzi, Bill Eiserman, and Chris Dodero were all there signing autographs!

On Saturday, the Chicago Steel welcomed the Dubuque Fighting Saints to the Edge Ice Arena. Coming off of a win, the Steel were confident going into the game.

Chicago was the first to capitalize when Woody Hudson lit up the back of the net putting the Steel ahead 1-0. Then 34 seconds later, Patrick Polino scored, furthering the distance between Chicago and Dubuque. Chicago continued the hot streak, when Tyler Heinonen scored a power play goal making the score 3-0. The period didn’t end there, Mackenzie MacEachern was able to net one last goal before intermission ending the first period with the Steel in the lead 4-0.

In the second, both teams came out strong. With over ten minutes into the second, Dubuque ended Chicago’s shutout when Mike Szmatula registered his 32nd goal of the season. However, with less than two minutes left in regulation, Charlie O’Connor scored a power play goal ending the second and putting the Steel up 5-1.

Dubuque came out strong in the third with Szmatula scoring his second goal of the game with only 19 seconds into the third. Less than five minutes later Eric Freschi scored lessoning the game between Chicago and Dubuque 5-3. A little over three minutes later Polino netted his second goal of the night on a power play. With less than five minutes left in the third Danny Fetzer lit the lamp with his fourth goal of the season, making the final score of the game 7-3.

Nolan Valleau, Ray Pigozzi, Jaccob Slavin, Woody Hudson, Drew Smolcynski, Landon Smith, Christian Neumann, Alex Roos, and Charlie O’Connor all registered assists during the game. Altough the Steel were outshot 35-28, goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos had 32 saves and the team was able to kill five penalties.

The boys are back this Wednesday, at home, where they will take on Team USA’s U-18s. Game time is set for 7:30pm. Don’t forget to order your tickets in advanced by ordering online at http://tickets.chicagosteelhockeyteam.com or by calling (630) 594-1161.