Game Day: Rivalry Renewed
April 7, 2017 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Game Day: Rivalry Renewed
(Omaha Lancers)
Game #59
Lancers at Stars
The Ice Box
7:35 pm
Both Omaha and Lincoln have been eliminated from post-season play putting bragging rights on the line as the rivals meet for a home-and-home series to wrap up the 2016-17 season.
Season Series:
Lincoln has controlled the season series through the first six games, winning five of the first six games. Omaha's only victory over the Stars this season came at the Ice Box on February 3. Derek Hamelin scored the overtime game-winner to help the Lancers claim the victory.
Despite only having scored once in the series, Lincoln's Gustaf Westlund leads all skaters with eight points (1g, 7a) through the six games series so far. Papillion native Ethen Frank is right behind Westlund with seven points (4g, 3a). Stars forward Sam Sternschein has tallied the most goals against the Lancers this season, scoring five times, including a hat trick at Ralston Arena. Ben Lown leads all available Lancers in both goals and points against the Stars. The Miami University commits three goals are a team high, the forward has no assists against the Stars. After Lown four other players have a pair of points, and three other skaters have scored.
Missing Pieces:
The Lancers head into the final weekend of play missing two of the team's top three scorers. Both Filip Rydstrom and Emilio Pettersen will be missing from the Omaha lineup for both games.
Rydstrom, the team's leading scorer, signed an ATO with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL on Saturday, April 1. In 51 games with the Lancers the captain notched a team-high 24 assists to go along with 10 goals. Rydstrom has played two games with the Fuel, tallying a pair of assists in his second pro game on April 5 vs. Quad City.
Pettersen, who will be representing Norway at the U18 World Championships in Slovenia. Norway opens play on Friday April 7 against Kazakhstan. Playing in the second tier Petersen's Norwegian team will take on Germany, Hungary, Denmark, and France in round robin play to open the tournament. A Denver commit, Pettersen most recently represented Norway at the World Junior Championships U-18 Division 1a. During that tournament Pettersen recorded five points (3g, 2a) in five games.
Lincoln will be without defenseman Eero Teravainen who will also be playing for his country during the final week of the season.
Getting Experience:
Affiliate player Noah Cates recorded the first multi-point game of his USHL career on Saturday night against the Fighting Saints when he picked up a goal and assist. Cates started the weekend with a power play goal in Des Moines on Friday, his first of the season. The goal on Saturday was the first that Cates had scored at Ralston Arena.
Skating on a line with Filip Suchy and Jack Randl, Cates' line combined to score three of the Lancers goals on the night. Cates, committed to Minnesota-Duluth is expected to return to the Lancers for the 2017-18 season.
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 Game Day: Rivalry Renewed |
United States Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2017
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- Four Unanswered Dumps Cedar Rapids, 4-1 - Tri-City Storm
- Game Day: Rivalry Renewed - Omaha Lancers
- Storm Starts Iowa Road Trip on Season's Last Weekend - Tri-City Storm
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- Game Tonight Omaha Lancers vs. Lincoln Stars - Lincoln Stars
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