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USHL Madison Capitols

Capitols' Charge in Third Falls One Goal Short

October 30, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release


Madison, WI - The Madison Capitols (6-4-0) fired a third period frenzy at the Omaha Lancers (7-3-2) net, but could not find an equalizer as the Lancers held on for a 3-2 win on Friday night at the Alliant Energy Center.

The Capitols once again would have to play from behind, allowing the game's first goal for a fourth straight contest. After Cooper Watson took an early slashing penalty at 1:53 of the first period, Omaha immediately won the power play draw and Nick Rivera was able to bank a centering feed off of bodies and behind Garrett Metcalf to make it 1-0 at the 2:00 mark. The Lancers' power play had entered the game among the worst in the USHL at just 3-of-36, but the unit quickly made those numbers moot courtesy of the Rivera pinball shot.

The damage could have been worse for the Capitols if not for the strong performance of Metcalf, who, all told, would make 14 saves on 15 Omaha shots in the first 20 minutes. At the other end, the Capitols had a tough time sledding against a pestering Lancer defense. Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick Kris Oldham only needed to turn aside eight Capitol shots in the first.

The second period script was a near duplicate of the opening frame, with Madison giving Omaha an early power play, as this time Jordan Ernst was whistled for a check from behind. Once again, it took Omaha less than a minute on its power play to get its once-scuffling man advantage on the board for a second straight occasion. Josh French picked up the puck in the right circle and slapped it past Metcalf at 3:19 to make it a 2-0 lead for Omaha.

Madison would finally kill off an Omaha power play after Ernst picked up a roughing call, but the Capitols continued to struggle to generate grade-A chances in Oldham's direction.

That all changed at the 14:15 mark, as Ernst, atoning for his earlier penalties, got a point shot on net from the left point, and Oldham's rebound kicked right to Charlie Gerard, who spun and beat the goalie to make it 2-1.

However, the game's tide again flipped back to the Omaha side. First, the Capitols generated an odd-man rush with a chance to tie, but Oldham was able to deny Sam McCormick on the right wing side. Moments later, at 15:01, less than a minute after the Gerard goal, JC MacLean worked a picture perfect passing play on the rush with Ben DiMaio, roofing a right wing shot past Metcalf to give Omaha the 3-1 intermission lead. MacLean's first goal of the season would eventually stand up as the game winner for Omaha, making him the seventh different Lancer to tally a game-winning goal.

The Lancers, who entered the night 3-0-0 when leading after two periods in their first 11 games, would have to withstand a barrage of Madison bullets to the net in the final period.

Madison did not waste much time getting the lead down to 3-2, as Charlie Parker (Verona, Wis.) picked the puck away from Jake Massie and twisted a snapper between the legs of Oldham at the 2:50 mark.

The Capitols would fire the proverbial kitchen sink at the 6-foot-4 Oldham, but the Anchorage, Alaska native would not allow Madison a chance at overtime, with some help from his pipe on a second-goal bid from Gerard. Oldham finished the night with 30 saves for his fourth win of the season, which also halted Metcalf's winning streak at four straight starts.

In the defeat, Metcalf made 27 stops for the Capitols.

The Capitols will get the remainder of Halloween weekend off from game action before completing their six-game homestand on Fri., Nov. 6 against the Dubuque Fighting Saints for the second WJJO Dollar Beer Night of the 2015-16 season.

Tickets to upcoming Capitols home games can be purchased by calling (608) 257-CAPS or by visiting www.MadCapsHockey.com.

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