CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI – The Chippewa Steel (4-3-0) are firing on all cylinders heading into a pair of games this Friday and Saturday versus the Springfield Jr. Blues (0-6-2). The Steel, now winners of three straight games and over five hundred for the first time this season remain at home at the Chippewa Area Ice Arena with puck drop for both contests at 7:00 AM CT. The Jr. Blues were swept last weekend by the Minnesota Wilderness, and still looking for their first win of the season after dropping both games by a score of 4-3, including an overtime loss.
TICKET AND BROADCAST INFORMATION
If you have not already purchased tickets to this weekends games click HERE. If you are unable to make it to the Chippewa Area Ice Arena, you can watch the game from the comfort of your own home on NAHLTV. You can watch the Steel all season long on NAHLTV and listen to the “Voice of the Steel” Joey Erickson.
SCOUTING THE STEEL
The Chippewa Steel now have the second longest winning streak in the NAHL behind the Bismarck Bobcats who have won four straight. Last weekend, the Steel were able to shut down a Fairbanks team that had one four straight with a combination of great goaltending, stiff defense and timely goal scoring. A month into the season, the Steel have become a much tighter defensive team and are not allowing as many quality chances that we saw in the first handful of games. Along with a steady group of combinations up front, the Steel have really found a groove and will look to continue that against a struggling Springfield club.
SCOUTING THE JR. BLUES
September was a month to forget for the Springfield Jr. Blues, but they played multiple close games and their record is not an indication for who they are. Four of their games have been decided by one goal, including a few overtime losses, one to Minnesota last week and Kenai River the week before. The Jr. Blues currently are in last place of the Midwest Division, but are heading in the right direction and hopefully October is a much kinder month to Springfield. The Jr. Blues leading scorer is defensemen Jake Peterson, an Air Force commit, is building off his 20 point rookie campaign with six points in his first eight games this season.
OLD FRIENDS
Scott Miner will face his former team for the first time after coming over to the Steel for his second season in the NAHL. Miner finished with eight points in 48 games played a season ago for the Jr. Blues. In Chippewa, Minor has a goal and an assist in back to back games to begin the year along with being a staple on the top pairing with Zach Sondreal. Look for Miner to have a big game against his former club this weekend.
WELCOME BACK
Noah Grolnic returned to the lineup for the first time since he left the game in the opening minute against St. Cloud on September 15. He completed the trio on the top line with Peyton Platter and Talan Blanck, who each picked up a point in the contest including Grolnic’s third goal of the season to ice the game away late.
POWER PLAY PETERSON
We may be just a handful games into the 2023-24 season, but Lukas Peterson has scored two of the Steel’s three power play goals this season. He fired a wrist shot after a beautiful pass from Blanck in the middle of the slot to beat the Fairbanks goaltender for the first goal of the game.
THE PUCK STOPS WITH WHITE
Ajay White is having a phenomenal start to his rookie season, in his latest start against the Ice Dogs, White made 33 saves in route to his third victory of the season. He has improved to 3-1 on the year, posting a 2.25 GAA and 0.922 SV%. He will more than likely play in one of the games this weekend against Springfield.
Stay connected during the season by following the Steel @chippewasteel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and online at chippewasteelhockey.com.