General 10/13/2023 10:06:00 PM

Waterloo Scores Four Straight to Silence Steel

Lukas Sawchyn and Mick Thompson score as losing skid hits six games

GENEVA, IL — After tying the game at one in the second period, the Chicago Steel (1-5-0-0, 2 pts.) were on the receiving end of four straight goals from the Waterloo Black Hawks (2-4-0-0) who defeated the Steel 5-2 Friday at Fox Valley Ice Arena on Friday night.

Lucas Sawchyn and Mick Thompson scored for the Steel who suffered their sixth straight defeat.

Right off the bat, the Steel had to fight an uphill battle after heading to the penalty kill just over a minute into the game. Towards the end of Waterloo's power play, a cross-crease pass was deflected, but a Black Hawks skater managed to get a shot away, forcing Steel goaltender Christian Manz to hold his left post and make a tough stop.

Three minutes later, the Steel saw their best chance of the period off of a Waterloo turnover in neutral ice, but Black Hawks goalie Calvin Vachon mirrored Manz's play making a save before getting some help with a clear.

At the halfway mark of the first, Waterloo went to the power play once again in a still scoreless game. It didn't take long for the Black Hawks to creep in on Manz and try a back door play again, but an excellent heads up effort by Michael Hagens disrupted the play and potentially saved a goal.

The two teams exchanged chances, but neither had a great opportunity until there were six minutes left in the period. Teddy Townsend got behind the Steel defense and nearly outwaited Manz going to the near post, but Chicago's netminder made an immaculate sprawled out save to keep the game knotted at zeroes.

The Black Hawks outshot the Steel by a 15-6 margin in the first 20 minutes of play.

At 3:41 of the second, the Black Hawks kept up the pressure, resulting in the game's first goal.

After circling around the back of the net, Townsend started back up ice and fed a perfect pass to Jaedon Kerr, who one-timed his second goal of the season to make it 1-0.

Not long after the Waterloo goal, the road team got dangerously close to adding another, but Manz made a Dominik Hasek-esque stop by flinging himself back towards the crease and throwing down his blocker arm to stop what was going to be a surefire goal for Waterloo.

The jaw-dropping stop provided a noticeable pep in the step for Chicago, and it showed later in the period.

After a blocked Tobias Ohman shot trampolined off a skate, it caromed to Lukas Sawchyn who found himself in the right place at the right time with a wide-open shot on the far side, resulting in an easy goal for the rookie to tie the game at one.

The game would turn in the last four minutes of the second period when another Waterloo power play helped the Hawks take the lead back.

Only 11 seconds after starting the advantage, Griffin Erdman got the puck by Manz for his first goal of the year. Gavin Lindberg added his fourth assist of the season on the power play goal.

Owen Tylec nearly tied the game at two after the Black Hawks' goal, but Vachon made a big push to his left to make an impressive left pad stop on a cross-ice pass.

After another call against Chicago, Waterloo tallied another power play goal two and a half minutes later when John Mustard fired a shot from the right point to beat Manz and make it 3-1.

With 39 seconds left in the period, Brock Schultz scored the fourth Waterloo goal of the night. With three goals in a span of 3:04, the Black Hawks took a commanding three-goal lead into the third period.

The Steel took an abbreviated power play into the final period of regulation but couldn't capitalize.

Waterloo expanded its lead to four goals in one of the most unorthodox ways you'll see just three minutes into the third.

While on another power play, Manz left his net to play the puck but sent an errant pass right to Jakub Altrichter for the first shorthanded goal scored by the Black Hawks this season.

It was the second time the Steel had given up a shorthanded goal this year.

The Steel received a 5-on-3 advantage for :50 early in the third, but Waterloo held strong defensively to keep Chicago off the board.

At 10:59 of the period, Hans-Martin Ulvebne got in for a breakaway and was held, resulting in a penalty shot for the first-year forward.

Ulvebne skated in slowly and made a plethora of dekes, but Vachon made the stop to keep Waterloo's 5-1 lead intact. It was the second time Waterloo had faced a penalty shot in the young season.

Late in the period, Mick Thompson found twine for his third goal of the season. Grayden Slipec had the lone assist on the goal, his third of the year.

The late goal from Thompson was the final scoring of the game, as the Black Hawks held the Steel in check down the home stretch to win 5-2.

Christian Manz made 31 saves on 36 Waterloo shots in the loss.

Next weekend, the Steel host the Youngstown Phantoms on Saturday, Oct. 13 for Pucks and Pups Night, presented by PetSuites, at 6:05 pm CT. Fans are invited to bring their dog to the game as part of this annual tradition.

Single game 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.

For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.

Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Saturday, October 21 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (6:05 pm CT) Pucks and Pups Presented by PetSuites
Friday, October 27 at Sioux City Musketeers (7:05 pm CT)
Saturday, October 28 at Sioux City Musketeers (6:05 pm CT)

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Players Mentioned

#14 Mick Thompson: F; 5' 8"; Harvard University

#35 Christian Manz: G; 6' 0"; Augustana University

#27 Lucas Sawchyn: Forward; 5' 10"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#14 Mick Thompson
: 5' 8"; Harvard University
: F

#35 Christian Manz
: 6' 0"; Augustana University
: G

#27 Lucas Sawchyn
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: Forward

Players Mentioned

#14 Mick Thompson

#35 Christian Manz

#27 Lucas Sawchyn

Players Mentioned

#14 Mick Thompson

#35 Christian Manz

#27 Lucas Sawchyn