by Matt Gajtka

BENSENVILLE, Ill.– The Chicago Steel scored five of the last six goals Saturday night at the Edge Ice Arena, turning a 2-1 Muskegon Lumberjacks second-period lead into a 6-3 Steel win on home ice.

 

Ryan Bullock, Michael Moran and Ryan Lomberg each netted their first goals in the loss for Muskegon, which fell to 0-2-0 in the midst of a season-opening four-game road trip.

 

The Steel (2-1-0, 4 points) were paced by Zach Saar’s two goals, the second of which held up as the game winner. Michael Fallon and Christian Heil threw in a goal and an assist each.

 

Just like Friday night in Cedar Rapids, the Lumberjacks allowed an early goal, this time with Bo Pieper snapping a left-circle shot past goalie Blake Voth at 4:15. Unlike Friday night, Muskegon would rally before the first period was complete.

 

Mere moments after killing an extended Chicago 5-on-3 advantage, the Jacks’ Ryan Bullock leaned into a blast from the right point that sailed over the glove of Steel goalie Mathias Dahlstrom with 49 seconds left before the horn.

 

Muskegon grabbed its first lead of the young season while on its second power play. Defenseman Kevin Schulze hurried the puck up ice to John Padulo, who earned his third assist in two games with a slick set-up to Moran on the doorstep four minutes into the second.

 

The Steel then rallied for three consecutive goals to wrest momentum away from the Jacks, with Theo DiPauli scoring from between the circles and Saar putting a pair of rebounds away from in tight.

 

With 1:27 left in the second, Lomberg earned Muskegon’s first penalty shot of the season when he was hooked down from behind. The Ontario product buried a hard wrister over Mattias Dahlstrom’s glove, dragging the Jacks within 4-3.

 

But Heil converted a rebound less than a minute later, and Fallon blasted home a slapshot early in the third to help Chicago regain control.

 

Go to http://ushl2011.stats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=1660193 for complete box score.

 

The Lumberjacks head back to the interstate next weekend for a trip to the West Division. Fargo is the first stop Friday night; the puck drops at 8:35 p.m. ET, with the Meijer Pregame Show engaging at 8:05 on your exclusive radio home for the Lumberjacks, 92.5 FM The Outlaw. 

 

The home-opener at L.C. Walker Arena will be Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7:15 p.m. against the defending Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. Call (231) 724-JACK, or visit startickets.com or your local Meijer to purchase your tickets!