Late flurry lifts Musketeers to Game 4 win

The Chicago Steel was poised to capture the Clark Cup at Fox Valley Ice Arena on Saturday (May 20, 2017) until the Sioux City Musketeers rallied to tie and then win Game Four with two goals in the game’s final three minutes.

The Steel held a comfortable 4-2 cushion late in the second period before Odeen Tufto scored to make it a one goal cushion just seconds from the end of the middle frame.

The Steel though crept closer and closer to the final before Eeli Tolvanen fired the tying goal with 2:53 to go in the final period. Just as the thought of overtime overcame those in attendance at the Chicago game, Kristian Pospisil fired another with just 69 seconds to play, lifting the Musketeers to its first and only lead of the contest.

First period goals by Mitch Lewandowski and Jake Jaremko had the home side up 2-0 before Aapeli Rasanen got the Swordsmen on the board early in the middle period.

Phillip Knies tied it briefly for Sioux City at the 10:02 mark, but Jaremko’s second of the night put the Steel in front just 56 seconds later and Reggie Lutz restored the two-goal margin with 73 seconds to play in the period.

Matiss Kivlenieks collected the win in goal with 20 saves for the Musketeers while Alex Stezka turned aside 27 shots in goal for the Steel.

The series will come down to a fifth and deciding game on Tuesday (May 22) at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. Winner of that game will capture the 2017 Clark Cup Championship.