USHL Omaha Lancers

Lancers close regular season with win

Published on April 3, 2010 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release


Erik Haula tallied two goals and an assist while Matt White added a goal and two assists of his own as the Omaha Lancers closed the 2009-2010 regular season with a 5-4 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers Saturday evening in front of 3,605 fans at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. With the win, the Lancers ended the regular year with a 42-12-6 record overall and closed with 90 standings points for the second time in the last three seasons. Omaha ends the regular season on a six-game winning streak and without having dropping a game in regulation time since February 13th.

Des Moines grabbed the game's opening marker when a series of defensive zone turnovers by the Lancers produced Jack Berger's 14th goal of the season. The unassisted tally came 8:15 into the opening period of play. Omaha was quick to respond, however, as just 62 seconds later, Matt White broke free on the right wing before firing home his team-leading 35th goal and 80th point of the season. With the goal, White became the first Lancer in 16 years to reach the 80-point mark in a season. The Buccaneers reestablished the lead just 2:20 later as former Lancer Tyler Lapic spun a right wing shot between the pads of Omaha's John Keeney for his 5th goal of the season. Mitch Cain and Mike Fink assisted on the even strength marker scored 11:37 into the first period. Omaha bounced right back again though and evened the contest just 28 seconds later Erik Haula chipped in his 28th goal of the season. White and Seth Ambroz assisted on the equalizing tally netted 12:05 into the period.

The Lancers grabbed their first lead of the game early in the second period as a neutral zone turnover just eight seconds into the frame produced Greg Wolfe's 24th goal of the year. Dakota Eveland and Troy Power assisted on the goal extending both Wolfe's and Eveland's points streaks to seven consecutive games. Omaha doubled the lead just prior to the midway point of regulation time when Eveland's cross-ice pass on the power play was blasted in by a one-timer from Power for his 28th goal of the season and 9th man advantage marker of the year. Ryan Daugherty garnered the secondary assist on Omaha's 70th power play as a team. The Buccaneers answered with a power play goal of their own though and cut the deficit to just a single goal a little over three minutes later when Berger redirected Austin Coldwell's snap shot from the left point for his second goal of the game and 15th of the season.

Omaha regained its two-goal lead six and a half minutes into the third period when, in four-on-four hockey, Haula split the Buccaneers defense in firing in his second goal of the game and 28th of the year. White and Matt Wahl assisted on the goal 6:32 into the final frame, which left White at 82 points on the year and just one shy of Tri-City's Jaden Schwartz for the USHL regular season scoring title. Des Moines grabbed the final goal of the game when Eric Knodel wristed home a power play goal 7:43 into the third but it was too little too late as the Lancers hung on for a 5-4 victory to close the regular season.

Keeney earned the victory in net for Omaha improving to 8-1-1 on the year after 28 saves on 32 Des Moines shots. On the other end, Des Moines' Eric Mihalik suffered the loss despite 29 saves on 34 Omaha shots.

The Lancers are back in action this Wednesday evening when they host the Tri-City Storm in Game 1 of the opening round of the 2010 Clark Cup playoffs.

Check out the Omaha Lancers Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from April 3, 2010


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