Lancers Weekly
March 17, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
RALSTON, NE - In front of the 15th sold out crowd of the season at Ralston Arena on Sunday, the Omaha Lancers capped their regular season home schedule with a 5-3 loss to Team USA's U-17 national team, one day removed from a 5-1 road win over the Des Moines Buccaneers in Omaha's final trip to Buccaneer Arena this season. Following the weekend split, at 36-13-5 and with 77 points, the Lancers remain alone in second place in the USHL's Western Conference standings heading into three weeks on the road to conclude the 2013-14 regular season. On Saturday, the Lancers' top line, still coping with the injury-related absence of Tyler Vesel (32G, 38A - 70 PTS), busted out offensively as leading USHL scorer Jake Randolph (23G, 55A - 78 PTS) netted a pair of goals and an assist and Vesel's replacement Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson (10G, 21A - 31 PTS) potted a three point night of his own (1G, 2A). On Sunday, Omaha native Gage Hough led the way with two goals in defeat for Omaha. Prior to game-time on Saturday, the Lancers announced that rookie goaltender Hayden Hawkey made his college commitment to Providence College in Hockey East where he'll play NCAA Division 1 college hockey alongside fellow current Lancers and Friars commits Ryan Tait and Jake Henderson . Also notable Saturday was Nebraska-Omaha recruit Steven Spinner's Omaha debut. Fresh off a semi-final run in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament with his hometown Eden Prairie Eagles, Spinner was acquired by the Lancers on February 3rd, along with high school teammate and fellow future Maverick Luc Snuggerud, from the Muskegon Lumerjacks via trade. Next up for the Lancers, it's the first weekend of a regular-season ending, six-game road stretch, beginning Friday at 7:05 at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa vs. the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (31-19-3, 65 pts., 2nd in Eastern Conference). Then on Saturday, it's a trip to Sioux City, Iowa and the Tyson Events Center for the finale of the Lancers' and Sioux City Musketeers' (34-16-3, 71 pts., 3rd in Western Conference) five-game regular season series at 7:05 pm in what could be a first-round playoff preview. Full coverage of both games begins with the " Valpak Pregame Show " at 6:50 pm both nights on the Lancers' flagship station " The Mighty " 1290 KOIL with Lancers broadcaster Tony Brown providing the play-by-play.
LANCERS NOTES:
OMAHA LANCERS (36-13-5), 77 pts., 2nd in Western Conference, L1
- With a nightly average of 3,324 fans in attendance, the Lancers finished their regular-season home slate ranked fifth in nightly attendance average.
- Jake Randolph (23G, 55A - 78 PTS) leads the USHL in assists, points and power-play assists (23).
- Having missed the past seven games with a dental injury, Tyler Vesel (32G, 38A - 70 PTS) still leads the USHL in plus/minus (+39), ranks second in the league in goals and points and teid for second in power-play goals (10) and game-winning goals (6).
- Rookie goaltender Hayden Hawkey (28GP, 20-5-1, 3 SO, 1.85 GAA, .929 S%) leads the USHL in goals-against average and save percentage.
- Louie Rowe ranks fourth in the USHL in total penalty minutes (144) and leads the league with 12 major penalties this year.
- Lancers captain Tucker Poolman (14G, 25A - 39 PTS) leads all USHL defensemen in goals and power-play goals (9), ranks tied for the league-lead in game-winning goals (3), second in shots on goal (129) and third in total points.
As a team, the Lancers lead the USHL in overall penalty-kill percentage (89.1%) and goals-allowed per game (2.26) and rank second league-wide in overall power-play percentage (23.5%), road power-play percentage (24.5%), road penalty-kill percentage (86.9%) and shots on goal allowed per game (27.1).
OPPONENT NOTES:
CEDAR RAPIDS ROUGHRIDERS (31-19-3), 65 pts., 2nd in Eastern Conference, W2
- Judd Peterson leads the USHL in shooting percentage (22.4%).
- Goaltender Danny Tirone (37GP, 22-11-1, 2 SO, 2.67 GAA, .915 S%) ranks tied for fourth in the USHL in wins.
- Mark Auk (9G, 19A - 28 PTS) ranks tied for third among all USHL defensemen in goals and eighth in points.
- Clark Kuster ranks tied for first among all USHL defensemen in game-winning goals (3) and fifth in shots on goal (112).
- As a team, the RoughRiders rank second-to-last in the league in penalty minutes per game (12.5, 15th ).
- Cedar Rapids ranks second in the USHL in shootout conversion rate (42.4%) and third in shootout goals allowed (24.3%).
SIOUX CITY MUSKETEERS (34-16-3), 71 pts., 3rd in Western Conference, W2
- Jared Thomas (18G, 39A - 57 PTS) ranks tied for fourth in the USHL in assists and total points.
- Brandon Hawkins (25G, 22A - 47 PTS) ranks second league-wide in shots on goal (207) and tied for fourth in goals.
- Forward Trevor Olson leads the USHL in shooting percentage (25.8%).
- Tyler Mueller and Blake Heinrich are tied for the league-lead in minor penalties this season (35).
- Goaltender Kyle Hayton (38GP, 23-12-2, 2 SO, 2.49 GAA, .920 S%) ranks third in the USHL in wins, fourth in save percentage, tied for fourth in apperances and fifth in goals-against average.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 17, 2014
- First-Place Ice Home Saturday at Pan Am - Indiana Ice
- Lancers Weekly - Omaha Lancers
- Simonson, Werenski, and Schierhorn Earn USHL Weekly Honors - USHL
- Eric Schierhorn Tabbed as USHL's "Reebok Goaltender of the Week" - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Waterloo Black Hawks Name Players of the Week - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Okposo, Petry Headline New Hall of Fame Class - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Hawks Cross into Record Territory - Waterloo Black Hawks
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