Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week Six
Published on November 3, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha, Neb. - The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) closed the month of October with victories in four of seven games, including three wins in five attempts at home. Now, Omaha (4-3-1, 9 pts.) kicks off the second full month of the 2011-2012 season with its first three-game weekend of the year.
The Lancers are coming off a split during their two-game home stand last weekend. The weekend kicked off in dramatic fashion as Omaha outlasted the Sioux Falls Stampede 3-2 in a shootout last Friday evening. Casey Bailey and Jonathan Liau both scored in the shootout and Alex Lyon matched a season-high with 33 saves in the victory. The weekend ended on a bitter note though as the Lancers let a 2-0 first period slip away the following evening in a 5-2 loss to the Youngstown Phantoms. Youngstown's Dylan Margonari registered his first career USHL hat trick in guiding the Phantoms to victory.
The busy weekend for the Lancers begins Friday with the team's first trip to Kearney, Nebraska this season and the first of eight regular season showdowns with the Tri-City Storm. Tri-City (3-5-0, 6 pts.) is looking to bounce back after dropping both of its games last weekend. After a 5-1 setback at home to Youngstown last Friday, the Storm didn't fare much better on the road the following evening dropping a 3-1 decision at the Des Moines Buccaneers. After Friday's clash in Kearney, Tri-City hits the road Saturday for a contest in Sioux Falls.
Omaha's weekend continues Saturday when the Lancers return home to the Omaha Civic Auditorium to face off against the defending Clark Cup Champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. Dubuque (7-2-0, 14 pts.) enters the week having won six consecutive games, including five straight road victories. The Fighting Saints rattled off 3-1 and 4-1 victories last weekend in Sioux City and Fargo respectively and have now surrendered just three goals against over the last four games. Before traveling to Omaha on Saturday, Dubuque's weekend begins at home Friday with a visit from the Chicago Steel.
The Lancers then conclude their busy three-game weekend Sunday when the Steel's swing out West wraps up at the Civic Auditorium. Chicago (4-5-0, 8 pts.) split a pair of games last weekend knocking of the USNTDP U17 team 6-4 on Friday before falling 5-1 at the Muskegon Lumberjacks the following evening. The Steel will be facing their third game in as many nights Sunday as well following road tilts in Dubuque and Des Moines to kick off the weekend.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 4-3-1, 9 pts. (2nd Western Conference)
- D Kevin Schulze was added to Omaha's roster this week from the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Schulze is the player the Lancers received in the trade that sent John Keeney to Muskegon two weeks ago. The first-year blueliner from White Bear Lake, Minnesota has already tallied six points (six assists) in eight games this season. Schulze is committed to the University of Wisconsin.
- F Jimmy Murray continues to lead all Lancers in overall scoring with seven points (goal, six assists). Murray also leads the team in special teams points (four) and shots on goal (24).
- F Max Vallis and F Casey Bailey each scored their first career USHL goals last weekend. Vallis netted his in Omaha's 3-2 shootout victory over Sioux Falls last Friday while Bailey's came on the power play Saturday in a 5-2 loss to Youngstown.
- G Alex Lyon enters the week second among all USHL netminders in goals-against average (1.54) and save percentage (.944).
- Omaha's power play went 1-for-6 last weekend and now stands at 3-for-25 on the young season. At 12.0% the Lancers man advantage ranks 11th overall. Meanwhile, Omaha's penalty kill successfully defended six of seven man-down situations last weekend and now stands at 89.7% (4th) on the year (26-for-29).
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Nov. 4 @ Tri-City Storm - 3-5-0, 6 pts. (6th Western Conference)
- F Nick Lappin enters the week tied for the USHL lead in goals (8) and tied for sixth in overall scoring (11).
- F Adam Chlapik will face his former team for the first time Friday since he was traded to Tri-City in early October. Chlapik has registered five points (goal, 4 assists) in 5 games with the Storm.
- Tri-City's power play was 1-for-11 last weekend and enters Week Six tied for 15th among all USHL teams at 8.9% on the year (4-for-45).
- Tri-City enters the week ranked 15th in goals-for per game (2.13) and 10th in goals-against per game (3.13)
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, Nov. 5 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints - 7-2-0, 14 pts. (T-1st Eastern Conference)
- F Zemgus Girgensons leads all Dubuque skaters and ranks second among all USHL skaters in overall scoring with 13 points (six goals, seven assists). Girgensons is also tied for second among USHL skaters with three power play goals.
- G Gabe Antoni leads all USHL goaltenders in goals-against average (1.05) and save percentage (.953). Antoni (4-0) has surrendered just four goals-against in 228 minutes of crease duty this season.
- Dubuque's penalty kill currently ranks first at 95.4% (41-for-43) and has successfully killed 21 straight man-down situations over the last five games.
- The Fighting Saints rank first overall in goals-against per game (1.56) and are sixth overall in goals-for per game (3.44).
Opponents Notes:
Sunday, Nov. 6 vs. Chicago Steel - 4-5-0, 8 pts. (6th Eastern Conference)
- F Zach Saar leads all Chicago skaters with eight points (six goals, two assists) this season. Saar is also tied for second among all USHL skaters with three power play goals.
- G Mathias Dahlstrom has seen the bulk of action in net for the Steel having appeared in eight of Chicago's nine games this season. Dahlstrom is 4-4 on the year with a 3.00 goals-against average coupled with a .914 save percentage.
- Chicago's penalty kill currently ranks second at 93.9% (31-for-33) while the Steel's power play ranks seventh overall at 16.0% (8-for-50).
United States Hockey League Stories from November 3, 2011
- Former Stampede Star Corey Tropp Gets the Call from Buffalo - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Gamblers' Movember Game Wednesday, November 23 - Green Bay Gamblers
- Fighting Saints Announce Game Time Changes - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Cammarata Commits to Minnesota - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week Six - Omaha Lancers
- Short-Handed Phantoms Face Eastern Conference Foes - Youngstown Phantoms
- Participants for "Ref" Event Announced - Waterloo Black Hawks
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