Storm Sweep Lancers, Move to Conrference Finals
April 18, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release
KEARNEY, Neb. - The Tri-City Storm completed a sweep of the Omaha Lancers Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center, winning 3-1 in Game 3 to move on to the Western Conference Final.
Storm goals were scored by Dan Labosky, Mason Appleton and Chris Wilkie, while Alec Dillon stopped 28 shots to record his third win of the series.
Tri-City erased an early 1-0 deficit early in the first when Labosky evened the score after an early power play goal from Shane Gersich.
Labosky's second tally of the series came just 2:19 after the opening Omaha goal with an assist from Chase Berger. Berger took a backhand shot that was stopped by Lancers' netminder Kris Oldham, but the puck remained free in the crease for Labosky to slap home.
The game stayed even at 1-1 until early on in the second when Appleton scored on an impressive passing play. Bobby Nardella started the rush with a cross-ice feed to Jake Wahlin to get into the Omaha zone. Then, with Appleton bearing down on the net, Wahlin placed the puck right on the Michigan State commit's stick for a redirection that got by Oldham.
Tri-City then got an insurance goal from Wilkie in the first minute of the third to open up the lead. The forward scored his first of the playoffs on the power play with a blast from inside the blue line. Assists on the goal went to Nardella and Appleton.
Omaha netminder Kris Oldham stopped 36 shots for Omaha in the loss, as Tri-City outshot the Lancers 39-29 in the game.
The series win was the first time Tri-City has advanced in the playoffs since 2007 when it beat the Sioux City Musketeers in seven games.
The Storm will face either Sioux City or Sioux Falls in the Western Conference Final. Sioux Falls currently leads Sioux City 2-1 in their Western Conference Semifinal series. More information will be available in the coming days at stormhockey.com.
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United States Hockey League Stories from April 18, 2015
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