General 10/27/2023 10:13:00 PM

Second Period Surge Sparks Sioux City to 6-3 Win Friday

Ulvebne and Yurchuk score first goals of USHL career for Steel

SIOUX CITY, IA — The Sioux City Musketeers (6-3-3-0) scored four second period goals including three straight to break a 1-1 tie as they captured a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Steel (1-7-1-0, 3 pts.) Friday night at the Tyson Events Center.

Charlie Major found twine for the third time this year for the Steel, while Hans-Martin Ulvebne and Ben Yurchuk scored for the first time in their USHL careers. Louka Cloutier made 28 saves on 34 Musketeers shots in defeat as Chicago dropped its eighth straight contest.

The Steel kept the game scoreless for much of the opening period before they were forced again to play from behind on Friday night.

Just beyond the halfway point of the first period, Easton Jacobs capitalized on solid zone pressure from the Musketeers and snuck into the slot area and flung a wrist shot past Steel goaltender Louka Cloutier to open the scoring. It was the ninth time Sioux City scored the game's first goal this year.

The Steel battled back and drew a slashing penalty from the Musketeers and finally broke through after a long scoreless streak on the power play.

Forward Charlie Major thwarted an 0-for-20 power play slump and tied the game with a perfectly placed shot from the right circle.

Michael Hagens was credited with the lone assist on the goal, and earned extra kudos with a handy stop at the blue line to hold the zone and allow the Steel to continue forechecking on the advantage.

Sioux City outshot Chicago 10-3 in the first 20 minutes.

Chicago received another advantage 1:09 into the second period and saw few chances as the Musketeers killed off the infraction.

Three minutes later, the Steel gave Sioux City its first power play chance of the night, and the league's second-best power play unit didn't take long to convert as Brian Nicholas potted his fourth goal of the season to put the Musketeers back on top, 2-1.

Sioux City hit a higher gear after the power play goal with two goals in 1:02 to extend its lead to three goals.

Colby Saganiuk received a pass while alone on a break from a diving Giacomo Martino at the far wall for the third goal for Sioux City, and Hagen Burrows added the fourth goal on a wide-open shot from the slot with assists from Nicholas and Ethan Gardula.

The Steel found themselves in a hole after facing a 5-on-3 penalty kill for just over a minute, but goaltender Louka Cloutier made save after save against a dangerous Musketeers power play to keep the deficit at three goals.

Late in the period, the Steel found life after playing on their heels for much of the second.

With just under two minutes left in the middle frame, Hans-Martin Ulvebne recorded his first career USHL goal to bring Chicago to within two. Lukas Sawchyn registered an assist on the goal.

The momentum for the Steel was shot down almost instantaneously, as Max Strand scored for the Musketeers 31 seconds later to give Sioux City a 5-2 lead.

Desperate for a shift in momentum, Steel defenseman Reid Conn dropped the gloves with Sioux City defenseman Liam Hupka in a back-and-forth scrap four minutes into the final period of regulation. The Steel received a power play out of the chaos, but could not convert.

Chicago was held scoreless by the Musketeers going into the back end of the period, but another power play opportunity arose and gave the Steel life.

After a hard snapshot on goal from Charlie Major was stopped by Musketeers netminder Samuel Urban, a bouncing puck found its way to Ben Yurchuk waiting at the right side of the net who backhanded in his first career USHL goal, the second Steel power play goal of the night.

The Musketeers again responded with haste 2:34 after Yurchuk's goal, as Ty Hanson found the back of the net for the third time this year to make it 6-3 Musketeers.

The Steel have yet to record a victory since defeating the Musketeers in the season opener at the Fall Classic.

The two teams will close their season series Saturday, Oct. 28, with puck drop scheduled for 6:05 pm CT.

The Steel will host consecutive games for the first time this year next weekend when they face the Green Bay Gamblers for Turtle Races on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7:05 p.m. and Napoleon Dynamite Night with a Fanny Pack Giveaway (first 500 fans) and Post-Game Skate with the Steel on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:05 p.m.

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 28 at Sioux City Musketeers (6:05 pm CT)
Friday, November 3 vs. Green Bay Gamblers (7:05 pm CT) Turtle Races in partnership with Hickory Knolls Discovery Center
Saturday, November 4 vs. Green Bay Gamblers (7:05 pm CT) Napoleon Dynamite Night | Fanny Pack Giveaway (first 500 fans) | Post-Game Skate with the Steel

###

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#11 Michael Hagens: D; 5' 11"; Harvard University

#20 Charlie Major: F; 5' 10"; Cornell University

#16 Reid Conn: Defense; 6' 5"; Freshman; University of New Hampshire

#17 Ben Yurchuk: Forward; 5' 9"; Freshman; Northeastern University

#26 Hans-Martin Ulvebne: Forward; 6' 0"; Freshman; Bemidji State University

#1 Louka Cloutier: Goaltender; 6' 1"; Freshman; University of Nebraska-Omaha

Players Mentioned

#11 Michael Hagens
: 5' 11"; Harvard University
: D

#20 Charlie Major
: 5' 10"; Cornell University
: F

#16 Reid Conn
: 6' 5"; Freshman; University of New Hampshire
: Defense

#17 Ben Yurchuk
: 5' 9"; Freshman; Northeastern University
: Forward

#26 Hans-Martin Ulvebne
: 6' 0"; Freshman; Bemidji State University
: Forward

#1 Louka Cloutier
: 6' 1"; Freshman; University of Nebraska-Omaha
: Goaltender