Another Rough Weekend on the Road
Bensenville, IL (January 30th, 2010) -  The Chicago Steel entered the weekend series with the Indianapolis Ice holding the fourth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Despite a 3-4-1 record in their last eight games leading into the series, the Steel, with a sweep, would have left January with a winning record for the month.

Friday night, in game one of a back-to-back Indiana got off to a hot start with a power play goal from Antti Roppo to give Indiana the 1-0 lead. Chicago’s Connor Wilson has seen more playing time in conjunction with the team’s improved play but couldn’t keep the Ice out of the net. Wilson allowed three more goals, including another power play score by Roppo, which found the Steel trailing 4-0 heading into the 3^rd period.

Chicago’s Alex Krushelnyski (Colorado College) broke up the shutout four and a half minutes into the 3^rd period with his career best eighth goal of the year and Greg Wolfe (Western Michigan) added his sixteenth goal to cap Chicago’s offensive effort.

In the 6-2 loss, Steel goalie Connor Wilson went (29/35) allowing six goals. He is now (6-3-4) in games started this year for Chicago.

On Saturday, Krushelnyski added to his season best with his ninth goal off a sharp pass by Chicago Forward Andrei Kuchin, his 29^th assist in 37 games played. Indiana answered back with two goals in the latter half of the period off Chicago Goalie Nick Pisellini (Western Michigan) to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

In the 2nd, Kuchin made good on a Cole Gunner pass for his 13^th goal of the season. For Gunner, the assist was his fourth since coming over to Chicago in a trade from Fargo. The Steel had drawn even before Antti Roppo registered his third power play goal in the last 48 hours to make it 3-2 Ice.

In the 3^rd, Wolfe’s power play goal, his 17^th, knotted the two teams at three apiece until Indiana’s Chris Martin hit the eventual game winner with ten minutes left in the period.

Chicago (15-18-5) will now play host to Cedar Rapids and Eastern Division leading Green Bay this Friday and Saturday night at the Edge Ice Arena. Both games are slated to begin at 7:30.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Chicago Steel box office at (630) 594-1165.