Lancers Fall 7-3 to Fighting Saints
February 5, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha Lancers Defend against the Dubuque Fighting Saints
(Omaha Lancers)
Dubuque, IA - The Omaha Lancers were unable to keep the Dubuque Fighting Saints off the scoreboard in the third period on route to a 7-3 loss in front of 2,713 fans at the Mystique Ice Center on Friday night.
Omaha took the lead on the road. Mitch Perrault sat below the goal line to the right of the net looking for options. Austin Alger took the pass from Perrault at the hash marks above the crease. After receiving the pass, Alger lifted the puck up and over the left shoulder of Fighting Saints goaltender Hunter Miska. The goal came 12:07 into the game and was Alger's ninth of the year with the only assist going to Mitch Perrault.
Brett Boeing tied the game shortly after. Joey Keane took the puck and let a shot go from the top of the right wing circle. Lancers goaltender Kris Oldham got a piece of the puck, however, the hopped up and over his shoulder. Oldham fell back to try and cover the loose puck but Brett Boeing got there first to tie the game 1-1 with just 2:34 left in the first.
A pass from the corner helped the Fighting Saints take their first lead of the night. Zack Solow took the puck along the right boards and played it out to the front of the net. Colin Theisen angled his stick and deflected the puck by the leg pad of Oldham for the 2-1 lead. The tally was Theisen's eighth of the season and came with only 1:37 left in the opening frame.
Just when it looked like the Lancers were heading to the first intermission down by a goal, Brannon McManus and Nick Rivera delivered. The two forwards moved into the offensive zone on an odd-man rush. From the top of the left wing circle, Rivera fired a hard pass to McManus who lifted the puck over a diving Hunter Miska to even the score, 2-2, with 1:10 to go in the first period. Rivera continued his point streak and Cody Fleckenstein recorded his first USHL point with the secondary assist.
The scoring picked up right where it left off in the second period. Waiting at the side of the net, Petter Makitalo took a Shane Kavanagh pass and one-timed it by the left leg pad of Kris Oldham for a 3-2 lead 1:56 into the second period. Kavanagh tallied the first assist with Keegan Ford collecting the other.
The Fighting Saints took a penalty right after, and the Lancers' power play went to work. Jacob Bryson sent a pass to the left wing circle for Brannon McManus who immediately played the puck back to the right for Josh French. After taking the pass, French let a hard wrist shot go that sailed over the left shoulder of Hunter Miska to even the score back up, 3-3. The goal by French was his 11th on the season with the assists from Bryson and McManus at the 9:44 mark.
A power play chance helped the Fighting Saints back out to the lead later in the period. After a save by Kris Oldham, the puck rolled to his right, where Dubuque's Willie Knierim was waiting. Knierim was denied once but the second chance he sent to the back of the net for a 4-3 lead at 12:52 of the second
In the third period, Dallas Gerads scored all the goals in the third period for the hat trick and to seal the win for Dubuque. Gerads scored his seventh of the year at 11:05 of the third period with assists from Michael O'Leary and Casey Johnson to give the Fighting Saints a 5-3 lead.
After a turnover by the Lancers, Dallas Gerads put in his second goal of the night for the 6-3 advantage late in the game. Then, with under one minute to go in the third, Gerads with the empty-net goal gave Dubuque a 7-3 lead and that was the final.
Kris Oldham made 26 saves in the loss.
The Lancers return home tomorrow night to face the Chicago Steel at 7:05 p.m.! It's Superhero Saturday presented by the Omaha Children's Museum! Can't make it? Fans can listen live to the game beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the Valpak Pregame Show on "The Mighty" 1290 KOIL, Mighty 1290 KOIL Mobile APP, www.mighty1290koil.com, and www.FASTHockey.com.
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 Omaha Lancers Defend against the Dubuque Fighting Saints |
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