Gameday Preview: vs. Tri-City
April 9, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
STARS VS. STORM
When: Wednesday, April 9th at 7:05 p.m.
Where: The Ice Box
Watch: HockeyTV
Listen: Mixlr (mixlr.com/lincoln-stars)
GAMEDAY PREVIEW PRESENTED BY CULLIGAN WATER
LINCOLN (18-24-4)
The Stars' good vibes continued on Wednesday as Lincoln took down the Des Moines Buccaneers 3-1, extending their home winning streak to five straight games. They've secured points in their last eight games (6-0-2), dating back to March 16th. Gleb Veremyev, Noah Laba and Stanley Cooley scored on Wednesday while Ryan Ouellette stopped 16 shots in the victory.
Lincoln is outscoring opponents 20-10 at the Ice Box over their last five games despite slow starts in their previous two contests. The Stars trailed after the first period both times but rallied for wins over Sioux City and Des Moines. Against Tri-City this season, Lincoln is 4-3-1. In their last meeting on February 19th, the Storm took home a 4-1 victory in Kearney.
TRI-CITY (28-13-3)
The Storm are also red-hot as of late, winning their last six, potting 30 goals over that span. In their last three wins, they've posted a plus-11 goal differential (14-3). Rhett Pitlick scored twice on Saturday in Tri-City's 5-1 victory in Sioux Falls against the Stampede. Cole O'Hara, Victor Czerneckianair, and Matthew Knies also lit the lamp. Todd Scott made 28 saves on 29 shots.
Special teams will also be a focal point between the two clubs this weekend. Tri-City takes the fewest penalty minutes in the Western Conference (588) while Lincoln takes the most (1102). It's also important for the Storm to establish a lead early as they boast a 24-5 record when scoring the first goal.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR
Laba has scored game-winning goals in two consecutive games for Lincoln ... Clay Hanus has five points in his last four games, becoming the first Stars defenseman to hit the 20-point mark this season after an assist on Wednesday ... Tri-City has killed off 19 straight penalties and leads the Western Conference with a success rate of 89.2% ... The Storm score the most goals (158) in the West and allow the least (110) ... Hunter Strand has been a man on a mission for Tri-City, scoring 19 times and adding 24 assists this season ... Ryan Ouellette is 5-0 in his last five starts while Scott is on a six-game winning streak ... Ouellette needs 27 more saves to become the first USHL goalie this season to hit the 1,000-save mark.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2021
- Lancers Top Force, 3-2 - Omaha Lancers
- Latkoczy Records Shutout in 4-0 Win over Youngstown - Chicago Steel
- Hawks Break out for 6-3 Win - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Stampede Drop Weekend Opener to Waterloo - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Lumberjacks Frustrate Fighting Saints - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Ferner Commits to North Dakota - Sioux City Musketeers
- Gameday Preview: vs. Tri-City - Lincoln Stars
- Storm Ready for Weekend Series against Stars - Tri-City Storm
- Sillinger to Compete with Team Canada U18s - Sioux Falls Stampede
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