2024-25 Stars' Season Ends in Conference Finals
May 1, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
The Lincoln Stars' 2024-25 season came to an end with a 3-0 loss to the Waterloo Black Hawks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night at Young Arena.
Lincoln fell to Waterloo, three-games-to-one in the best-of-five Western Conference Finals.
Kaeden Hawkins continued his torrid postseason by scoring for a sixth straight game and for the eighth time in the Clark Cup Playoffs with his league-leading fourth power-play goal at the 16:19 mark. He struck with a one-timer from atop the right circle that went just underneath Yan Shostak's glove as he attempted a windmill save. Shostak made several huge stops in the first period to keep the deficit at one as the Stars were outshot, 14-7.
Hawkins nearly netted his second goal of the game on another power play in the second period. His redirection was stopped by Shostak but Grady Deering cleaned up the rebound to give the Black Hawks another goal on the man advantage.
Deering added an empty-net goal at the 17:57 mark of the third to cap Waterloo's second shutout win in as many days. The Black Hawks will face the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the Clark Cup Final, beginning May 9.
The 2024-25 Stars won the Anderson Cup as holders of the USHL's best regular-season record for the fourth time in franchise history, joining the 1999-00, 2000-01 and 2002-03 seasons, with a 44-15-3-0 mark. Lincoln broke its single-season wins record in 2024-25, surpassing the 2000-01 (43-7-4-2) and 2001-02 (43-15-0-3) seasons. The Stars recorded 40 wins in a season for the fifth time in franchise history and the first time in the last 23 campaigns. Lincoln also led the USHL with 272 goals and broke its single-season record of 246 in 2000-01. The Stars scored five-or-more goals in a game 27 times, matching 1997-98 for the team record and marking the ninth time doing it at least 20 times in franchise single-season history.
The Stars will begin preparation for the 2025-26 season immediately with the USHL Draft next week. The Phase I Draft is Monday at 5 p.m. where 16-year old players born in 2009 are eligible to be selected. The Phase II Draft is Tuesday at 11 a.m. as teams will select players aged 17-20 and born from 2005-08. Follow the USHL Draft by keeping up with the Stars on Facebook, Instagram and X.
United States Hockey League Stories from May 1, 2025
- Hawks Power (Play) to Cup Final - Waterloo Black Hawks
- 2024-25 Stars' Season Ends in Conference Finals - Lincoln Stars
- Waterloo Black Hawks and Muskegon Lumberjacks Advance to Clark Cup Final - USHL
- Russo Named USHL Coach of the Year, Fabrizio Named USHL GM of the Year - Lincoln Stars
- Nick Fabrizio Named GM of the Year - USHL
- Rocky Russo Named Coach of the Year - USHL
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