Lancers Fall in Lincoln 5-2
March 31, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha Lancers at Lincoln Stars
(Omaha Lancers)
LINCOLN, NE - Anthony Angello and Matt Meier each recorded goals but it was the Lincoln Stars defeating the Omaha Lancers 5-2 on Tuesday night in front of 2,862 fans at The Ice Box.
Lincoln took the lead in the game at the 7:43 mark of the opening period while on the power-play. As the Lancers were down two skaters Ludvig Hoff and Waltteri Hopponen worked the puck around the Omaha penalty-killing unit before finding Grant Jozefek at the top of the offensive zone circle. Jozefek moved in and fired the puck over the right shoulder of Lancers netminder Zach Driscoll for a 1-0 lead on the man advantage.
Anthony Angello took advantage of a power-play to tie the game up for the Lancers a few minutes later. Angello and Brendan Smith went back and forth with the puck at the top of the left wing circle looking for a lane to shoot. Smith quickly returned the puck to Angello who let a shot go through traffic that found a way by goaltender Cam Hackett to even up the score at one goal 12:39 into the game. Smith picked up the only assist on Angello's 18th goal of the year.
A deflection from inside the right wing circle broke the tie and gave Lincoln their second lead of the period. Patrick Polino moved down the left wing circle and fired the puck at the net low. Standing in front of the net was Luke Jaycox who deflected the puck by Zach Driscoll to give the Stars a 2-1 lead with only 4:20 left in the first period. Dodero and James LaDouce were credited with assists on the go-ahead tally.
In the middle period Omaha tied the game for the second time of the night. As the puck dropped on an offensive zone face-off, Josh French went around his man and tapped the puck to Matt Meier who went to the side of the net right as the puck dropped. Meier tapped in his sixth goal of the year at 10:47 of the second period tying the game 2-2.
Lincoln responded late in the second period to take their third lead of the game. Michael Gillespie gave the puck to Waltteri Hopponen inside the left wing circle. Hopponen moved in and wristed the puck by Zach Driscoll or his sixth goal of the season and fourth since coming to Lincoln in a trade with the Sioux City Musketeers. Hopponen's goal was assisted by Gillespie and Ludvig Hoff to give the Stars a 3-2 lead with only 3:02 remaining in period two.
Late in the third period, Omaha tried desperately to tie the game. A pinch on the left side wall created a three-on-one rush back the other way for the Stars. Patrick Polino brought the puck down the right wing side and dropped it back to a trailing Chris Gambardella. Driscoll moved back to his right but Gambardella lifted the puck top shelf to give Lincoln a 4-2 lead 1:37 left in the third period.
Omaha pulled the goalie to get an extra attacker late in the game as the Stars had a man in the penalty box. Biagio Lerario tapped in an empty net goal for a 5-2 victory. Zach Driscoll made 21 saves in the loss.
The Omaha Lancers are back home on Friday night as they welcome in the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders for "Transformers Night" at 7:35PM. Can't make it? LIVE coverage of the game begins at 7:20PM CST with the Valpak Pregame Show on The Mighty 1290 KOIL, www.mighty1290koil.com, and www.fasthockey.com.
Images from this story
 Omaha Lancers at Lincoln Stars |
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