Fargo's Resiliency Hands Omaha 5-4 Shootout Loss
March 17, 2010 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Matt Leitner tallied a goal, three assists and registered the deciding marker in the shootout as the Fargo Force dropped the Omaha Lancers 5-4 in a shootout Wednesday evening at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Following the shootout defeat, the Lancers moved to 36-12-6 on the year and continue to lead the West Division with 78 standings points. Omaha now leads second place Fargo by just three standings points. With the win, Fargo improved to 5-0 against the Lancers this season.
The Lancers grabbed the game's opening marker in the game's opening minute as Dakota Eveland spun free on the right wing in sending home his 18th goal of the season just 32 seconds into period one. Troy Power and Greg Wolfe assisted on Omaha's league-leading 37th first goal of the season. After striking early in the frame, the Lancers then doubled their lead late in the opening period when a side angle shot from the right wing by Anthony Hamburg produced a rebound in the goal crease, which was promptly stashed home by Ryan Daugherty. Hamburg and Tom Craig assisted on Daugherty's 17th goal of the season netted 17:06 into the period.
Omaha added to its advantage early in the second period when Power's slap shot from the high slot produced a rebound on the left wing, which was immediately blasted home by Seth Ambroz 2:34 into the frame. Power and Aaron Ave garnered assists on Ambroz's 21st goal of the season and his team-leading 11th man advantage marker this season. Fargo didn't quit though and trimmed the deficit to just a single goal before the close of the middle period. First, Johnnie Searfoss got the Force on the board with his 19th goal of the season set up by a beautiful pass from behind the Omaha net by Leitner 8:50 into the second period. Then, less than two minutes later, Nate Schmidt's right point shot on the power play banked off the end boards and right to Garrett Allen at the left side of the net for his 21st goal of the year.
The Lancers reestablished their two-goal lead early in the final frame when Daugherty threw a chip shot from the left goal line off the body of Fargo goaltender Ryan Massa and into the back of the cage. Wolfe and Ave assited on Daugherty's second goal of the game and 18th of the season tallied 3:09 into the period. Fargo's resiliency remained though and the Force evened the contest with a pair of goals exactly ten minutes apart. First, Leitner tapped in a beautiful back-door power play goal just 1:14 after Daugherty's marker to make it a 4-3 game 4:23 into the period. Then, 14:23 into the final frame, Brandon Carlson drove a slap shot from the right point past Omaha's Jeff Teglia evening the contest at four apiece.
Neither side was able to find the put-away goal in the final minutes of regulation or overtime so the game proceeded to a shootout. Searfoss, Leitner and Nate Condon all tallied in the shootout for the Force while the Lancers countered back with goals from just Ambroz and Matt White.
Teglia suffered the shootout loss dropping his overall record to 27-10-5 on the year after 24 saves on 28 Fargo shots. Meanwhile, Massa earned the victory in net for Fargo after 26 saves on 30 Omaha shots. Massa is now 17-3-1 on the year.
The Lancers are back in action Friday evening as they return to the Omaha Civic Auditorium to wrap up their regular season series with the Youngstown Phantoms.
Scoring Summary
Period 1
Omaha - Dakota Eveland (Troy Power, Greg Wolfe) :32
Omaha - Ryan Daugherty (Tom Craig, Anthony Hamburg) 17:06
Period 2
Omaha - Seth Ambroz (PP) (Troy Power, Aaron Ave) 2:34
Fargo - Johnnie Searfoss (Matt Leitner, Brian Cooper) 8:50
Fargo - Garrett Allen (PP) (Nate Schmidt, Matt Leitner) 10:43
Period 3
Omaha - Ryan Daugherty (PP) (Greg Wolfe, Aaron Ave) 3:09
Fargo - Matt Leitner (PP) (Chase Grant, Nate Schmidt) 4:23
Fargo - Brandon Carlson (Johnnie Searfoss, Matt Leitner) 14:23
Overtime
No Scoring
Shootout
Fargo - Johnnie Searfoss, Nate Condon, Matt Leitner
Omaha - Seth Ambroz, Matt White
Shots
Fargo - 9, 9, 8, 2, 1 - Total 29
Omaha - 10, 8, 10, 2, 0 - Total 30
Saves
Fargo - Ryan Massa 26 (30 shots)
Omaha - Jeff Teglia 24 (28 shots)
Power Play
Fargo 2/4
Omaha 2/6
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