Played on Nov 8, 2025
Game Played in Fox Valley Arena
General Game Notes: Neutral Zone was in attendance for this regular season USHL matchup between the Omaha Lancers and the Chicago Steel at Fox Valley Ice Arena. Scoreless for nearly 30 minutes of play, Timothy Kazda (CHI) and Ashton Schultz (CHI) opened the scoring, lighting the lamp just a little over a minute apart together. Kolin Sissons (CHI) would add an empty net goal as Chicago would defeat Omaha by a score of 3-0. Player of the game honors would go to Steel goaltender: Sam Caulfield, who stopped all 38 shots he faced for a shutout.
Samuel Caulfield (G, L, 6’0″, 186, Chicago Steel, 08/29/2006, Colgate)
Game Rating
A
1 Viewing
Comments: Samuel is an average sized, butterfly style goaltender, who demonstrates strong athleticism and composure. Facing a barrage of shots tonight, he was perfect while earning a 38 save shutout. Samuel did a good job at tracking pucks through traffic and locating through screens. His quick lateral movement allows him to get across the crease swiftly and efficiently, thus allowing him to make a couple brilliant sprawling saves. Samuel benefits from his ability to adapt to plays through sequenced movements and battle through goal mouth scrambles. One thing he could have done better was often times when he made a blocker save, he would pop a rebound out to the high slot area, however luckily no one on Omaha was ever in position to pounce on the loose puck. Going forward, he just needs to be a little better with his rebound control in this high scoring chanced area. Otherwise, he had a virtually blemish free performance.
Louis-Felix Charrois (G, L, 5’11”, 177, Chicago Steel, 02/03/2005)
Game Rating
LV
1 Viewing
Comments: Did not play
Kolin Sisson (RW, R, 5’9″, 179, Chicago Steel, 09/30/2006, Providence)
Game Rating
The winger’s skillset was showcased in tonight’s game, with him consistently displaying agility and good decision-making abilities when controlling the puck. His footwork allowed him to win battles for possession along the boards, enabling his team to maintain control of the play. He effectively utilized his speed and agility to create scoring opportunities, as seen when he scored two goals by slipping behind defenders and releasing accurate shots on net.
1 Viewing
Comments: Kolin is a borderline, smaller in size winger, who packs a big punch in the scoring department. He uses speed and agility to drive defensemen back, as he attacks to the outside. His explosive footwork is what give him an advantage, as he can catch opponents flat-footed, and utilize strong edgework to cut back at a moment’s notice. He picked up a goal (empty net) and an assist in this contest. Kolin was often the catalyst for puck possession time and playing on a line with Schultz, allowed him to take more chances to drive towards the middle of the ice, while he pushed defenders back on their heels, creating more time and space, thus how he picked up his secondary assist on Schultz’s goal. Despite his size, it will be interesting to watch if he can maintain his pace this year as a point-per-game player.
Ashton Schultz (RW, R, 5’11”, 182, Chicago Steel, 10/03/2006, North Dakota)
Game Rating
B+
Ashton Schultz is a skilled forward with an emphasis on offense. He excels at generating shots on net, often finding ways to get high-quality scoring opportunities. When playing inside the zone, he can create space and receive rebounds, allowing him to capitalize on second-chance chances. His quick shot selection and accurate placement allow him to put pressure on defenders and create advantages for himself. Schultz’s ability to push the pace of the game and create shots from the perimeter is also notable. However, there is room for improvement in his ability to shoot from inside the dots and exploit higher-end scoring areas. By mixing up his shot selection and expanding his reach, Schultz could further increase his offensive production and potentially reach 20 goals by the end of the season.
1 Viewing
Comments: A skillful forward, who is often offensively minded, Ashton scaled back a little bit from that high octane offensive mindset tonight and played more of a two-way game. Known for numerous shots from the perimeter, while changing angles, Ashton attacked more from the middle and found ways to get to the center of the ice. He only had two shots on net in this game but was able to find the back of the net on one of them. Ashton sniped a shot, to the top shelf, from just inside the near circle, to the glove hand side all while Goukler was screening the goaltender. He also quarterbacked the powerplay, and with multiple shots in his repertoire it’s easy to see why he would be a strong choice. What was nice to watch about him tonight was that he was finding ways to get through several players at a time in the offensive zone and fight towards the middle of the dots. It looked like he was trying to step away from the consistent perimeter play of last year and break toward the center of the ice more than he often did in the past.
Timothy Kazda (RW, R, 6’1″, 193, Chicago Steel, 10/04/2008, Boston College)
Game Rating
B+
Timothy Kazda is a two-way forward with a right shot, possessing the skills necessary for success in the USHL. His most notable asset is his quick release and accurate wrist shot, showcased by multiple instances where he attempted shots on goal despite being limited in ice time. He demonstrated an ability to read the play and pick his spots, often using his agility to maneuver around the top of the circle before releasing a shot. Kazda also showed awareness in rotating into the high slot and back down towards the goaltender, providing brief net front presence. This quick release shooting ability is a promising aspect of his skill set, and it remains to be seen if he can capitalize on this talent consistently throughout the season.
1 Viewing
Comments: Tim is an average sized, two-way forward, with a right-hand shot. He netted the first goal of the game and his fifth of the season halfway through the second period, when he darted out of the near corner, went straight towards the net, and ripped a wrist shot 5-hole. His speed and acceleration are starting to pick up this year as he has now adjusted to full-time USHL duty. Tim had another prime scoring chance, where he had a nice give-and-go opportunity, where he threaded the needle across the crease for his teammate. Consistency in his tape to tape passing and a quick release are the strong points of his game, especially below the circles and from the corners.
Marco Senerchia (D, L, 5’8″, 159, Chicago Steel, 07/04/2007, Providence)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Marco is a just barely average sized, two-way defenseman, with a left-hand shot. Listed at 5’10’ (maybe) and 160 lbs, he relies primarily on his excellent skating abilities combined with smart angles when defending. He won board battles in his own zone due to the fact he kept his feet moving and he made good decisions when angling his opponent off the puck and forcing them to run out of real estate. Marco was a threat tonight every time he touched the puck because his agility and mobility helped him elude puck pursuing forwards and escape forecheckers with ease. He has a nice scoring touch for a small defenseman who can really motor the puck up ice and create offensive chances. He finished the night as a plus 1 and registered 2 shots on goal. He recently committed to Providence College.
Nils Roberts Maurins (G, L, 6’4″, 176, Omaha Lancers, 09/06/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Nils is an above average sized, butterfly-style goaltender, who is tall and lanky in size. The Latavian product has been seeing his fair share of struggles moving from the NAHL to the USHL this season, but turned in a solid performance tonight, turning aside 24 of 26 shots, for a respectable .923 SV percentage. Nils was beat on a five-hole, quick release shot and secondly on a snipe shot to the glove hand side. He limited rebound chances and ultimately kept Steel forwards to one and done chances. Nils appears to play deeper in his net and not necessarily overly challenge shooters at the top of the crease. His long legs give him the capability to cover a lot of ground, when moving laterally post to post. Considering the way he plays, it makes one think, could he have had one or both of his goals allowed back, if he challenged the shooter more, rather than sit back into his net as much as he does?
Devin Shakar (G, R, 6’1″, 163, Omaha Lancers, 03/13/2005, Brown)
Game Rating
LV
1 Viewing
Comments: Did not play
Lefty Markonidis (LW, L, 5’10”, 199, Omaha Lancers, 04/29/2005, Union)
Game Rating
B
Lefty Markonidis is a high-energy forward with a left shot, making his presence felt through his relentless compete level. He excels away from the puck, consistently pursuing the puck carrier and creating turnovers through physical play in corners and along walls. Lefty’s defensive prowess is notable, particularly on the backcheck, where he utilizes sound angling to limit opponents’ entry chances. His aggressive nature allows him to harass opposing players, picking up an assist and finishing with a positive plus/minus. As a fourth liner, he has impressed with his strong playmaking ability and scoring numbers, demonstrating his versatility in supporting the team’s overall effort.
1 Viewing
Comments: Lefty is an average size, two-way forward, with a left-hand shot. His game at the junior level has evolved from last year, going from more of an energy-type player, to a 200-foot competitor. He plays in all three zones, with consistent work ethic and never took a shift off. Defensively, he backchecked, won board battles, and supported his defensemen. Offensively, Lefty demonstrated his ability to rush pucks not only coast to coast but established himself on the perimeter with slick hands and subtle stickhandling to evade defenders. On the powerplay, he could work the blueline and then slide down the half wall looking for better distribution lanes. Lefty led Omaha with six shots on net and led the offensive attack, despite being shutout. His explosive and powerful stride has taken the next from last year had he has effectively become more of a complete player. Teams should keep an eye on his versatility moving forward.
Branko Vukas (D, R, 6’4″, 217, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 11/28/2005, Miami (Ohio))
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Branko is a large, two-way defenseman, with a right-hand shot. His body appears to have filed out quite nicely since his AAA playing days combined with the fact he adds on offensive presence when he is on the ice. Branko looked solid running a powerplay unit at the line and did a good job at keeping his feet moving and looking for options. He gets a lot of pucks to the net and was credited with 5 shots on goal. Branko kept his shots hard and low from the blueline, while also looking for teammate deflections and redirects. Size and strength are an asset for him, and have been in the past, but we didn’t see much of it this game. He did keep his game relatively simple as he cleared out the front of the net easily and moved the puck up ice quickly when exiting the defensive zone. With all of his size and power, we would like to see Branko utilize more of it, not only in his shot, but also in his defensive play.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images