NEW ULM — The New Ulm Steel ended a five-game losing streak to start the season last Saturday in Willmar when they dropped the WarHawks 5-3 in a NA3HL contest.

“It was good to get that monkey off of our back,” Steel coach Zach Stepan said. “After that first weekend when we were just not very good we bounced back and played better. We played good in a couple of games after that but did not get a win so if was good for us to play well and get that win Saturday. It was a win that the guys deserved.

“Our leadership group with players like (Joey) Gimberlin, (Corey) Stormer, (James) Spaargaren, but we also had some new guys break through in Zack Maillette, who is only 17-years old and Tommy Michelsen who was just back from Chippewa Falls.” Stepan said. “So it was good for those guys to get the monkey off of their backs individually. It is good when you can get secondary scoring from your third line.”

There was also some movement in the coaching ranks as long-time assistant coach Nick Campbell, resigned to concentrate on school.

Stepan sad that there is something in the works for a new assistant.

“I am hoping that we get an answer this week,” Stepan said. “My talk with him went really well. He is an old friend of mine that I went to Shattuck with and he is now coaching with the L.A. Junior Kings for the last four or five years. Hopefully he gives us the final OK today.”

Stepan also said that there is a trade that has gained some steam involving a Steel player “that has gotten a lot of interest in minutes. So now we play the game of what is the best offer.”

Stepan knows that playing Alexandria at home Friday is going to be tough.

“There is not an easy game for us,” Stepan said. “We have to play well.”

SAMAOKHVALOV IN NAHL: Igor Samaokhvalov, who was the Steel’s top goalie last year and was rumored to be coming back to the Steel from Russia this season, is playing in the NAHL for Shreveport, Louisiana.