MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN — The Chicago Steel (3-0-0-0; 6 pts.) spoiled opening night for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (1-2-0-0; 2 pts.) with a 5-1 win at Trinity Health Arena in Michigan, scoring two goals in both the first and second periods in the road victory.
Steel netminder Christian Manz made 32 saves, his second consecutive performance allowing just one goal against with 30 or more stops.
First-year Steel defenseman Nolan Joyce tallied his first two career USHL goals while rookie forward Cameron Johnson reached the back of the net for the first time in a Steel sweater.
Chicago’s special teams unit once again played a pivotal role as the Steel scored on the power play for the third straight game to start the season. The penalty kill unit, now 10-for-10 on the year, extended its perfect start to the season with four successful shorthanded sequences.
Already with three assists to his credit through his first two USHL games, Cameron Johnson reached the goal column for the first time to put Chicago ahead 1-0 in the opening frame.
The Vancouver, British Columbia, native tied up his man on a defensive zone faceoff before Steel defenseman Chris Able jumped on the puck and chipped it to Mick Thompson. Thompson sent Johnson on a 2-on-1 rush where Johnson pulled the trigger on a wrister that beat Lumberjacks netminder Noah Rupprecht.
A solid individual effort from Grayden Slipec led to Nolan Joyce’s first career USHL goal late in the first. After Slipec pick-pocketed a Muskegon skater in the Steel offensive zone, Slipec threw a puck to the net that bounced off the end boards right to the stick of Joyce who one-timed a laser shot past Rupprecht, doubling the Chicago lead.
The Lumberjacks, skating on home ice for the first time this season, had a chance to cut the deficit in half shortly after the start of the middle frame. While killing a penalty, Owen Mehlenbacher poked away a loose puck from Chicago and skated in alone on Manz, ripping a wrister. Manz was quick to react with the blocker, holding Muskegon off the scoreboard.
After a crucial penalty kill, the Steel won a draw in the offensive zone when Jack Harvey slid the puck back to Jayden Perron from the left circle. Perron immediately found Joyce cutting to the net on the right side where Joyce lifted a puck past new Muskegon goaltender Conor Callaghan for Joyce’s second goal of the night.
Later, while on the power play and with possession at the top of the zone, Steel forward Mick Thompson fired a shot that went wide of the crease but was picked up by Nick Moldenhauer. Moldenhauer sent a pass to the front of the net where Michael Emerson jammed home his second of the year to put Chicago ahead 4-0.
Carrying the four-goal lead into the final frame, the Steel offense put the game out of reach before turning to Manz to close out the contest.
Just past the five-minute mark into the third, Slipec added his second assist of the night when he and Jack Harvey teamed up for a give-and-go sequence. Slipec gathered a pass from Harvey in the right circle and fed it right back as Harvey fired a shot while drifting away from the Lumberjacks crease. Still getting enough on the shot, the puck slid through the five hole and past Callaghan.
Muskegon got its only goal of the night when Jake Richard used an offensive rush to his advantage, finding space in the slot to get away a shot that beat Manz with just over half the third period to play.
After the only blemish of the evening, Manz shut the door with a total of 17 stops in the final frame.
In a final push to get back within reach, Muskegon earned a power play opportunity just past the midway point of the third. In a single sequence of uninterrupted play in the Lumberjacks offensive zone, Manz made a scrambling stop in front of the blue paint, took a shot off the helmet, then froze the puck on a point shot keeping the score 5-1 in favor of the visitors.
As an exclamation point with time running out on Muskegon, Lumberjacks forward William Hughes fired a wrister from the slot with a minute left that was snared by Manz with the glove, halting any final scoring chance.
The Steel take home ice for the first time this season on Saturday, Oct. 1 with Opening Night against the Green Bay Gamblers at 7:05 pm. Fans will get to see Turtle Races courtesy of St. Charles Park District and are invited to ice level following the game action for the first Post-Game Skate with the Steel of the 2022-2023 season.
Tickets start at just $10 and are on sale now by calling 855-51-STEEL, purchasing at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com or visiting the Steel box office at Fox Valley Ice Arena during business hours. Starting this season, all Steel tickets are now digital. To learn more, visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Season ticket plans starting at 5 games for just $50 and group tickets and experiences are on sale now by calling 855-51-STEEL or emailing info@ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Saturday, October 1 vs. Green Bay Gamblers (7:05 pm CT) Turtle Races Courtesy of St. Charles Park District | Post-Game Skate with the Steel
Friday, October 7 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints (7:05 pm CT) GIVEAWAY – 2022-2023 Magnet Schedule (First 500 Fans)
Saturday, October 8 at Madison Capitols (7:05 pm CT)
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