
Defensemen Deliver Thrilling Road Win at Sioux Falls
February 21, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
The Lincoln Stars earned their second straight road win in as many days with a 2-1 win on Friday night at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
Lincoln (33-12-1-0) moved seven points ahead of Sioux Falls (28-12-3-1) for first place in the Western Conference standings and four points ahead of Dubuque in the race for the Anderson Cup, awarded annually to the team with the best regular-season record in the USHL.
Etienne Lessard and Caeden Herrington scored both of Lincoln's goals, marking the first time that a pair of Stars' defensemen scored in the same game since Jan. 11 vs. the NTDP U17's.
Despite a combined 29 shots in the first period, there was no scoring until Lessard's shorthanded tally at the 9:20 mark of the second. Lefty Markonidis glided in from the right-wing boards on a breakaway and was denied but Lessard shoveled in the loose puck in the crease for his fifth goal of the season. The tally also marked the Stars' third shorthanded strike and his second, following an empty-net shorthanded goal Jan. 18 vs. Muskegon. Lessard is now 1-of-14 players in the USHL to score multiple shorthanded goals while being the lone defenseman in that group. The Union College commit is tied for second among USHL blueliners with 32 points and is tied for third with 27 assists.
"I saw the opportunity to jump at the net and took it," Lessard said. "It stopped in front of the net and I got the greasy rebound. I think the 'D' came up big; breaking out pucks, blocking shots on the 'PK,' everyone contributed."
Herrington padded the lead and netted the eventual game-winning goal from the right circle at the 4:43 mark of the third. Jack Pechar picked up the puck from the top of the far circle and carried it to the high slot before finding Herrington to his right. Herrington let it rip just from the face-off dot to score his 13th goal of the season. The Stars are 10-1 when Herrington scores and he moved into a tie with Colby Cohen (2006-07) for the fourth-most goals in a single season by a Stars' blueliner. The Vermont commit leads all USHL defensemen in goals and is tied for seventh in points (26).
"It was a complete team effort," Herrington said. "Up and down the lineup all 24 guys were going. Those are the games you want to play in and I think it's going to get our team ready for the Clark Cup Playoffs. I think our team learned a lot about our identity."
Lincoln got caught for too many men on the ice to set up a five-on-three power play for Sioux Falls midway through the third. They killed off the worst of it, but Logan Renkowski broke up the shutout bid with a power-play goal at the 10:22 mark and, more importantly, made it a one-goal game. The Stars took another penalty later in the period but shut down the Stampede power play and picked up both points in regulation.
Yan Shostak was brilliant in his first game back from injury. Shostak, who missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, returned in spectacular fashion, denying 36-of-37 shots. He stopped 15 shots in the first period and 13 more in the second to help keep the Stars up 1-0 after 40 minutes. The St. Cloud State commit leads the all USHL goaltenders with a 2.27 goals-against average and is second with a .913 save percentage.
"Yan was unreal tonight," Herrington said. "He made some timely saves, some big saves. He's the best goalie in the league and I think he showed it tonight."
The Stars face the Omaha Lancers for the final time at the Ice Box this season Saturday night at 6:05. It's Wizard Night and Stars fans are encouraged to dress up in their best wizard costume for a win chance to win one-of-four signed Stars pucks. Tickets can be purchased at lincolnstars.com.
United States Hockey League Stories from February 21, 2025
- Defensemen Deliver Thrilling Road Win at Sioux Falls - Lincoln Stars
- Steel Seven-Game Point Streak Ends in 4-1 Loss - Chicago Steel
- Hawks Go to Townsend - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Fighting Saints Fall in Close Game to U18s - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Herd Fall to Stars in Defensive Battle - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Penalties, Ejections, and More as Jacks Fall 3-1 in Youngstown - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Phantoms Acquire Conlin from Des Moines - Youngstown Phantoms
- Fighting Five: Saints Visit U18s to Begin Series - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Prowse Shuts out Lancers - Lincoln Stars
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