Rasmussen stellar in Steel win over Team USA

PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN - Goaltender Dayton Rasmussen stopped 28 of 29 shots in his first start as a member of the Steel and Chicago (28-10-1-3, 60 pts.) registered a 4-1 victory over Team USA (U17) (16-20-1-1, 34 pts.) Friday night at USA Hockey Arena. Teammate Jason O'Neill, also recently acquired by the Steel, recorded his first two points with the team, notching a pair of assists in the team's third straight road victory.

Both Rasmussen and O'Neill were acquired via trade last week with Rasmussen moving from Tri-City and O'Neill from Sioux Falls. The victory was Rasmussen's 13th USHL win this season, and O'Neill's 2 assists were his 18th and 19th of the year. Marc Johnstone had a goal and an assist for Chicago in the victory.

Chicago opened the scoring less than three minutes into the first period. Jordan Seyfert tallied his first USHL receiving a centering pass from O'Neill slapping it past the stick side of Team USA netminder Keegan Karki at 2:32. Despite being outshot 10-5 the Steel held the one-goal lead going into the first.

The Steel extended their lead in the second period when Mitch Lewandowski found a rebound in front and put it past the blocker of Karki at 13:32; Lewandowski's goal was his seventh point against Team USA this season. Team USA headed to the power play late in the period but it was Chicago's league-leading penalty killing unit that took advantage. After stealing the puck at his own blue line, Johnstone raced the length of the ice and recorded his third shorthanded goal of the season, deking Karki and wrapping the puck past his glove side at 18:10.

The three-goal lead was short-lived, as Team USA answered back less than a minute later. After sustained pressure in the Steel zone, USA winger Joel Farabee lifted a shot high and past the blocker of Rasmussen at 19:08.

Chicago would tally an insurance marker when O'Neill sent a cross-ice pass to Reggie Lutz at the bottom of the left circle and sent it home passed the blocker of Karki. For Lutz, it was his team-leading 36th point of the season. Defenseman Ondrej Kachyna tallied his first USHL point with an assist on the play.