CHICAGO OVERTIME WINNER SPOILS MUSKETEERS SEASON OPENER
Cranberry Township, PA (September 21st, 2023) - The Sioux City Musketeers opened their 2023-24 season with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Chicago Steel in their first game of the 2023 DICK's Sporting Goods Fall Classic.
Sioux City appeared to be the better hockey team throughout the contest, they out shot Chicago by a whopping 42-22 margin and held the advantage in all three regulation periods.
The Musketeers out shot the Steel a lopsided 17-6 in the opening period but lit the lamp just once at the tail end of the first when Colin Kessler found the back of the net at the 19:46 mark to give the Musketeers a 1-0 lead. Kessler scored five goals for the Muskies in the 2022-23 season.
Sioux City struck quickly in the second. Dylan Godbout threaded the needle to Hagen Burrows who deflected the puck into the net only 39 seconds into the middle frame and gave Sioux City a 2-0 lead. The goal was Burrows' first in the USHL.
Holding back the tidal wave of rubber was Chicago goalie Christian Manz who stopped 40 of 42 shots to earn the victory for the Steel.
His offense eventually came to his aid in the third. Grayden Slipec gave Chicago their first tally of the season at the 2:30 mark of the third. Later in the period, on a Sioux City double minor for high sticking, the Steel tied the game 2-2 at the 12:28 mark.
It did not take long in the overtime period for Chicago to earn the victory, Charlie Major created a turnover in the Sioux City zone, circled around the net and flipped in a back hander to give the Steel a 3-2 overtime win.
Samuel Urban started in net for the Musketeers, he made 19 saves on 22 shots.
Sioux City and Chicago will meet again this season on the Musketeers home ice at the Tyson Events Center on Friday, October 27th and Saturday October 28th, which is also Hockey Halloween with the Musketeers, Tickets are available here.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Musketeers, they conclude their Fall Classic experience on Friday when they face the Green Bay Gamblers at 11:30 am CDT.
The home schedule for the Musketeers opens on Friday, October 6th at 7:05 pm hen they face the Waterloo Black Hawks. Tickets for that game are available HERE
