Central vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks: Game results
GENEVA, ILLINOIS — The Chicago Steel (11-2-4-0; 26 pts) fell on home ice for the first time this season with a 5-4 overtime loss against the Muskegon Lumberjacks (3-7-1-2; 9 pts.) Saturday night at Fox Valley Ice Arena.
Owen Mehlenbacher scored the game-winner for Muskegon to capture the extra point, the second overtime victory for the Lumberjacks against the Steel this season.
Adam Fantilli capped a standout individual weekend with two goals, totaling five markers and a helper across two games Friday and Saturday.
Emil Jarventie scored the first goal of the game, putting the visitors on top 1-0 just seven minutes into the contest.
The Steel tied it up shortly after with a great move by the Anthony Dowd on the blueline as he spun around a Muskegon defender and found Michael Emerson on the far side for a quick shot to the glove side, knotting the game at 1-1.
Less than two minutes later, Muskegon’s Jack Williams found the back of the net for his second goal of the season to give Muskegon a 2-1 lead that they carried to the first intermission.
Early in the second frame, Parker Lindauer scored off a scramble in front of the Steel net, giving Muskegon a 3-1 lead.
Jackson Blake responded with a fantastic individual effort on a penalty kill. Blake maneuvered into the offensive zone and followed up on his own shot, banking it in off Lumberjacks goaltender Platon Zadorozhny to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Steel tied the game a little more than two minutes after Blake’s shorthanded tally. University of Michigan commit Adam Fantilli scored on the man advantage when Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Joe Miller and Arizona Coyotes prospect Sam Lipkin connected to find Fantilli for a one-timer from the right circle.
Just past the halfway point of the middle frame, Muskegon won a draw in the Steel zone and took the lead once again, this time off the stick of Joey Larson. Larson has scored five of his six goals against the Steel this season.
In the third period, the Steel were searching for the equalizer until Adam Fantilli tied the game at 4-4 with just over 12 minutes to play, electrifying the Fox Valley crowd. Rookie forward Jayden Perron was sandwiched by two Lumberjacks against the offensive zone boards and fed the puck to Joe Miller, who then found Fantilli across the crease for the tying marker.
The Steel had two powerplay chances in the last eight minutes of in regulation but could not solve Muskegon goalie Platon Zadorozhny, part of a 1-for-6 night (16.7%) on the power play for Chicago.
In the extra session, Muskegon forward Mehlenbacher scored the game-winning goal just over two minutes into overtime on the blocker side of Homer.
The Steel play their next two games on home ice, starting with a Friday night matchup against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Nov. 19 at 7:05 and culminating with a clash against the Madison Capitols on Saturday, Nov. 20 for Video Game Night, another 7:05 pm CT puck drop.
Source: www.chicagosteelhockeyteam.com
