Miller Ties Club Record In 4-3 Win
Story By: Steve Jankowski
Bensenville (March 14th, 2009) -- At the rate Andrew Miller (Yale University) has been piling up points for the Chicago Steel this year, it was only a matter of time before he started reaching team records.   

Saturday night against the Lincoln Stars, Miller had a pair of helpers, giving him 45 assists on the year, tying him for the single-season team record, previously held by Danny Richmond. 

Chicago carried the play early on, but it was the Stars who got on the board first when former Steel forward Eric Alexander sent Ryan Kretzer in all alone on Steel goalie Hudson Stremmel.  Kretzer slipped the puck past Stremmel to give Lincoln a 1-0 lead after one.

 The score stayed that way until halfway through the 2nd period, when Greg Wolfe scored his third goal in his last four games to tie the game at one. 

Four minutes later, Chicago took their first lead of the night while on the power play.  Miller set up shop on the right wing boards and played catch with Dean Chelios (Michigan State University).  Eventually, Miller slid the puck to John Moore (Colorado College) in the deep slot, and Moore one-timed the puck past Stars goalie Kevin Murdock for Moore's 14th goal of the season.

The Steel lead lasted less than three minutes, however, as Lincoln notched a pair of power play markers less than a minute apart to re-take the lead. 

Chicago did get a late second period power play that carried over into the third, and the Steel used the momentum from the power play to score the tying goal just six seconds after Lincoln's penalty expired.  Miller pushed the puck from the goal-line extended to Chelios on the left-wing side of Murdock, and Chelios lifted it over him and into the net. 

The Steel had a good chance to win the game late with a power play with three minutes remaining, but the puck slid through the crease and Lincoln cleared it away from danger, sending the game into overtime. 

In the extra session, both teams had time on the power play, but neither team managed to find the back of the net. 

The game moved to the shootout, and neither team scored on their first attempt.  Stremmel stopped Lincoln's second shooter, giving Chelios an opportunity to put his team ahead, and he did in highlight-reel fashion. 

Moving in on goal slowly, he pulled the puck away from a Murdock poke check, got him down on the ice, and he flipped the puck over the fallen goalie.

In the third round, Lincoln was once again foiled by Stremmel, and Miller put Lincoln in a score-or-go-home situation in Round 4.  Eric Alexander was the Stars last hope, but Stremmel stopped his former teammate, allowing the Steel to snap their four-game losing streak.

The Steel will return to action next Friday night at the Edge Ice Arena, when they welcome the Sioux Falls Stampede to town.  Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets for all Steel home games can be ordered by calling the Steel Ticket Office at 630.594.1165.