Herd Stumbles against U17s

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 Sioux Falls Stampede

Herd Stumbles against U17s

January 19, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux Falls Stampede News Release


Plymouth, MI - After a dominant 10-goal performance the previous night, the Sioux Falls Stampede struggled against Team USA NTDP U17s. Despite an early goal by Noah Urness, the Stampede gave up six goals in a tough 6-2 loss. Jack Solomon made his first start in goal but was replaced by Aiden Wright early in the second period.

The Stampede appeared poised for another strong showing as Urness scored just 2:30 into the game. He deked goaltender Luke Carrithers and tucked the puck in on the left side. Logan Renkowski and Ben Wilmott set up the goal with an offensive zone takeaway that left Urness open. However, Team USA responded with a goal from Victor Plante at 13:54. The Herd incurred two penalties before the end of the period. They killed off Bryce Ingles' roughing penalty but still had 1:36 of Logan Renkowski's hooking penalty to kill at the start of the second. Despite not extending their lead, the Stampede outshot the U17s 11-5 in the first period.

The second period began slowly after the Stampede successfully killed the remaining penalty. At 10:58, rookie Ethan Wyttenbach scored his 15th goal of the season, beating Carrithers stick-side from the right faceoff dot to regain the lead for the Herd, 2-1. Team USA, however, answered back with two late goals. JP Hurlbert tied the game at 15:14, and Sammy Nelson gave the U17s a 3-2 lead at 19:19. The Stampede once again outshot their opponent, this time 12-8, but couldn't maintain their advantage.

The third period saw the Herd unravel, surrendering three unanswered goals. Just 42 seconds into the period, Lukas Zajic scored unassisted, earning his seventh goal of the season and giving Team USA a 4-2 lead. This prompted another goaltender change for the Herd, with Aiden Wright replacing Solomon. The switch brought some life to the team, which generated several quality chances, but Carrithers stood firm. During the Stampede's push, Ben Wilmott was called for holding, sending the Herd to their third penalty kill of the night. The penalty kill unit performed well, but the U17s extended their lead when Abe Barnett scored at 14:56 to make it 5-2. With 3:54 left in the game, Wright was pulled for an extra attacker, but the move didn't pay off. Michael Berchild sealed the game with an empty-net goal, securing a 6-2 win for Team USA. The Stampede continued to push until the final horn, outshooting the U17s 13-7 in the third period and 36-20 overall.

Jack Solomon, in his first start, made 11 saves but suffered his first loss, bringing his save percentage to .818. Aiden Wright, in relief, stopped three shots and maintains a .907 save percentage.

The Stampede will hit the road next weekend to face the league-leading Dubuque Fighting Saints on Friday at 7:05 p.m., followed by a matchup against the Cedar Rapids Roughriders on Saturday, also at 7:05 p.m. Sioux Falls fans can attend Buffalo Wild Wings Watch Parties at both local locations to cheer on the Herd. The Stampede will return home to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on January 30th and 31st. Tickets for those games are available.


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