Lancers Weekly
October 21, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
RALSTON, NE - In their first true road test of the 2013-14 USHL season, the Omaha Lancers saw an end to their season-opening and USHL-record five game shutout streak, but with a 2-1-0 weekend record, keyed by back-to-back third period comeback victories, the Lancers improved to 7-1-0 overall this season and claimed first place alone in the USHL's Western Conference standings. The weekend began on a sour note in Waterloo, Iowa on Thursday, when the streaking Black Hawks dealt the Lancers their first loss of the season, a 4-2 defeat that saw an end to Cole Bruns' all-time league record five-plus game shutout streak 9:41 into the first period. On Friday, Omaha trekked to Bensenville, Illinois where the Lancers started sluggish, but rallied with four third period goals, including a Luca Frigo deflection that proved the game winner coming in the final minute of regulation, in a 5-3 Omaha victory. Then on Saturday, the Lancers entered the third period trailing for the second consecutive night, but thanks to 29 saves from rookie goaltender Hayden Hawkey in his USHL-debut performance and a trio of third period scores, highlighted by Omaha native Gage Hough's league-leading second game-winning goal of the season with just over two minutes to play, the Lancers skated away with a 3-2 victory over the Indiana Ice at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. As usual, Omaha's marquee players were the team's most impactful contributors last weekend as USHL scoring leader and future UNO Maverick Jake Randolph (4G, 12A - 16 PTS) notched four points (1G, 3A) in three games played and Lancers wingers Tyler Hynes (3G, 5A - 8 PTS) and Hough (6G, 6A -
12 PTS) each added three goals and one assist apiece over that span. This weekend, the Lancers head to Sioux City, Iowa to take on the fourth-place Sioux City Musketeers (4-2-1) at Tyson Events Center at 7:05 pm on Friday, before returning home for their first meeting of the season vs. in-state rivals the Tri-City Storm (2-3-2, tied for 6th place in Western Conference), Saturday at 7:05 pm. Then on Sunday, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (5-4-1, tied for 3rd place in Eastern Conference), visit Ralston Arena at 5:05 pm.
LANCERS NOTES:
OMAHA LANCERS (7-1-0), 14 pts., 1st in Western Conference, W2
- Lancers G Cole Bruns' (7GP, 6-1-0, 5 SO, 1.00 GAA, .963 S%) USHL- record five game shutout streak will go into the record books as having lasted 309:41 minutes and concluded at the 9:41 mark of the first period in Omaha's first loss of the season, a 4-2 defeat vs. the Waterloo Black Hawks on October 17th at Young Arena.
- Bruns currently leads the league or is tied for the USHL lead in games played (7), wins (6), shutouts (5), goals-against average (1.00) and save percentage (.963).
- Bruns' streak garnered international online and print coverage from the likes of "The Hockey News", "Sports Illustrated" and "Yahoo Sports", among many others.
- F Jake Randolph currently leads the USHL in points (16), assists (12), power-play assists (5) and shorthanded assists (2) and is scoring 2.00 points-per-game so far this season.
- F Tyler Vesel's two shorthanded goals lead the USHL.
- F's Gage Hough and Luca Frigo are tied for the USHL lead in game- winning goals with two apiece.
- F Tyler Hynes and D Jimmy Schuldt are tied for the USHL lead with a +10 rating.
- F Louie Rowe's 50.0% shooting percentage is tied for 1st in the USHL.
- D Steven Johnson was chosen to join Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge Tournament in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Nov. 4-10th .
- Rookie G Hayden Hawkey stopped 29 pucks and earned the win in his USHL debut, a 3-2 Omaha road win over the Indiana Ice on October18 th at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
OPPONENT NOTES:
SIOUX CITY MUSKETEERS
(4-2-1), 9 pts., 4 th in Western Conference, W3
FRIDAY, 10/25/13, 7:05 PM - TYSON EVENTS CENTER, SIOUX CITY, IA
- Sioux City F's Cedric Lacroix (23 PIM) and Blake Heinrich (22 PIM) both rank in the USHL's top-ten in penalty minutes.
- Musketeers G's Connor Girard (3GP, 1.67 GAA, .932 S%) and Kyle Hayton (4GP, 1.95 GAA, .942 S%) both rank in USHL's top-five in goals- against average and save percentage.
- Sioux City's power-play (24.2%) and penalty-kill (88.2%) both rank in USHL's top-five.
TRI-CITY STORM
(2-3-2), 6 pts., T6th in Western Conference, L4
SATURDAY, 10/26/13, 7:05 PM - RALSTON ARENA, RALSTON, NE
- Storm G Jacob Johansson ranks fifth in the USHL in save percentage (.934).
- Tri-City's 170 penalty minutes as a team rank first in the Western Conference and fourth in the USHL.
MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS
(5-4-1), 11 pts., T3rd in Eastern Conference, L1
SUNDAY, 10/27/13, 5:05 PM - RALSTON ARENA, RALSTON, NE
- Muskegon F Luke Sandler leads the USHL in penalty minutes with 47.
- Muskegon G Eric Schierhorn's 1.37 GAA ranks third in the USHL and his .960 S% is the league's second-best.
- The Lumberjacks have been shorthanded 50 times this season, the second-highest total of any USHL team, but Muskegon's 78.0% penalty- kill is the league's third-worst.
United States Hockey League Stories from October 21, 2013
- Lancers Weekly - Omaha Lancers
- Matt Iacopelli Named USHL's "CCM Co-Forward of the Week" - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Hawkins, Iacopelli, Shaw, Heinrich and Bitzer Earn USHL Honors - USHL
- Shaw Skates to League Award - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Ice Home Saturday at Pan Am, Sunday at Fieldhouse - Indiana Ice
- Waterloo Black Hawks Name Players of the Week - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Bucs Hope Weekend Serves as Turning Point - Des Moines Buccaneers
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