General 11/10/2023 10:44:00 PM

Chicago Erupts for Nine Goals in First Road Win of Year

DelGreco and Hage both score five points in high-flying victory

MIDDLETON, WI — Chicago forwards Joey DelGreco and Michael Hage registered five points each as the Chicago Steel (3-8-1-1, 8 pts.) dialed up the offense in a bruising back-and-forth 9-7 win over the Madison Capitols (8-3-2-1) at Bob Suter Capitol Ice Arena on Friday night.

Joey DelGreco scored a hat trick with two assists, and Michael Hage scored a goal and had four assists for a pair of five-point performances as the Steel scored a season-high nine goals in earning their second straight victory.

Charlie Major, Michael Hagens, and Thor Byfuglien each notched two points for Chicago in the offensive war.

Christian Manz stopped 27 of 34 shots to record his second consecutive win.

The teams went back and forth for the first ten goals of the game.

The Capitols started the scoring in the opening period after a shot from Sam Rice squeezed through the five hole of Steel goaltender Christian Manz and had just enough juice to cross the goal line.

Chicago didn't waste a moment in finding the equalizer, however, as Charlie Major received an open look from the high slot following a great zone keep from the Steel.

With plenty of space around him, Major ripped a shot to the glove side of Capitols goaltender Patriks Berzins for his fourth goal of the season just :28 after Madison's goal.

Similar to how the two team's Sept. 29 7-6 slugfest went, the scoring continued at will in the opening period with another goal from Madison.

With a delayed penalty upcoming, Rainers Rullers entered the Steel zone with defenders in front of him and, using the blockade in front as a screen, fired a wrist shut under of the glove of Manz at the halfway point to give Madison a 2-1 lead.

The Steel continued to showcase its newfound fire and tied the game once again following another great forecheck.

After many clearing attempts from Madison were canceled by the Steel, Mick Thompson grabbed hold of possession in the far corner and found an open Jordan Brisson who one-timed his second goal of the year to tie the game at two.

Thompson, who missed the last four games due to injury, picked up where he left off with his seventh point in six games.

The second period saw much of the same action as the first with few penalties but plenty of offense.

After seven minutes of scoreless action, Gavin Uhlenkamp scored to give the Capitols a 3-2 lead, and spark what would be a seven-goal period between the two teams.

Two minutes after Madison jumped in front Major found the back of the net for the second time after a nifty deflection between the legs of Berzins.

Once again, the Capitols grabbed their lead back on a power play goal from former Steel forward Chris Delaney, his fifth of the season, to make it a 4-3 game.

Michael Hage then got in on the Steel scoring after receiving a pass from Ben Yurchuk and blowing past the Capitols defense and tucking a goal past the outstretched left pad of Berzins to tie the game for the fourth time of the night.

The mind-boggling scoring trend continued as just :16 later, Sam Kappell found the puck out of a net-mouth scramble and nudged it home to again put Madison on top.

Nineteen seconds later, Chicago received its first power play of the night and went to work without hesitation.

After an offensive-zone draw win, the Steel worked the puck around the outside until Hage put a shot on goal that trampolined its way right onto the tape of Joey DelGreco who fired it home just :25 into the power play.

Chicago was granted its second man advantage of the evening shortly after its first, and again, didn't waste a second.

Only :16 after the power play began, a bouncing puck was corralled and swept over to DelGreco, who was in the exact same spot when he scored his first PPG, and again, fired the puck past Berzins to put Chicago in front 6-5 for its first lead of the night.

The Steel scored three goals in 3:45, two on the power play in a heavy offensive-minded middle frame.

The final period of regulation was nearly a carbon copy of the second frame.

Chicago manned the driver's seat to start action in the third, but this time it was the Capitols who had to yank the wheel back to its side, and James Hong did just that with a goal five minutes into the period to tie the game at six.

Just before the ten minute mark, the Steel bounced its way in front, literally, and didn't look back.

Thor Byfuglien rifled a point shot that sailed over the net and off the glass behind the cage, but the seeing-eye puck tumbled off the top of the goal, off the back of Berzins, and trickled over the goal line and in for the wackiest goal you'll see this season.

The goal was Byfuglien's second of the year and came on the power play that kept Chicago a perfect three-for-three on the advantage.

Later on, Yurchuk threw his hat into the ring after a shot from Hage stopped short of the net, but Yurchuk was strategically placed to send a flop shot over Berzins and in to give Chicago the first two-goal lead for either team, an 8-6 advantage.

The Capitols pulled Berzins with under a minute to play and scored to get within one, but DelGreco scored on an empty net to secure the hat trick and a 9-7 Steel win.

DelGreco finished the night with five points (3G, 2A), as did Hage (1G, 4A), marking the first five-point performances in a single night since Macklin Celebrini's five goal performance against USA Hockey NTDP last season. Celebrini had two five-point games last year.

Nine other Steel skaters found the scoresheet in the win.

Chicago will travel to Cedar Rapids to take on the RoughRiders on Friday, November 17 before coming back to Illinois for a pair of home games.

The Steel will host a two-game set with the Youngstown Phantoms on Saturday, November 18 at 7:05 pm and Sunday, November 19 at 3:05 pm. Saturday is an Education Game while Sunday is Trolls Day with a special guest appearance from Poppy and a Steel Family Pack Game. Fans can get four tickets, hot dogs, chips, sodas/waters and chuck-a-pucks for just $60.

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:
Friday, November 17 at Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7:05 pm CT)
Saturday, November 18 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (7:05 pm CT) | Education Game
Sunday, November 19 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (3:05 pm CT) | Trolls Day | Family Pack Game
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Players Mentioned

#10 Chris Delaney: F; 5' 6"; Umass-Amherst

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

#12 Jordan Brisson: F; 6' 1"; Colorado College

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

#17 Macklin Celebrini: F; 6' 0"; Boston University

#19 Michael Hage: F; 6' 0"; Uncommitted

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

#25 Thor Byfuglien: D; 6' 0"; St. Cloud State University

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

#10 Joey DelGreco: Forward; 5' 10"; Freshman; Augustana University

Players Mentioned

#10 Chris Delaney
: 5' 6"; Umass-Amherst
: F

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

#12 Jordan Brisson
: 6' 1"; Colorado College
: F

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

#17 Macklin Celebrini
: 6' 0"; Boston University
: F

#19 Michael Hage
: 6' 0"; Uncommitted
: F

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

#25 Thor Byfuglien
: 6' 0"; St. Cloud State University
: D

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

#10 Joey DelGreco
: 5' 10"; Freshman; Augustana University
: Forward