Lincoln Heads Back to Des Moines Looking to Duplicate Last Week's Success
October 13, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
SATURDAY, OCT. 13, 2018 | 7:05 P.M. | BUCCANEER ARENA
RADIO: LINCOLN STARS RADIO | WATCH: HOCKEYTV
Tonight's Contest:
Both the Buccaneers (3-2-0-0) and the Stars (2-2-1-0) enter Saturday looking to rebound from tough losses last night.
Last Game:
Lincoln hosted Dubuque and dug themselves a quick hole Friday, falling down 2-0 in the game's first five minutes following two quick strikes from Saints forward Dylan Jackson. It took until the the third period for the Stars to even the score, riding goals from Josh Lopina and Logan Britt along with stellar saves from new netminder Tyler Johnson. The support was enough for Lincoln to battle back and steal away the lead in the early third with a tally from Caleb Rule. Dubuque came right back as Chris Lipe was able to tie the game at three just over a minute later. In the late third, Dylan Jackson set up his twin brother Ty for the Dubuque 4-3 advantage. With just over two minutes to play, the Stars pulled their goalie, but were unable to generate any late-game heroics. J.D. Greenway iced the contest with an empty-net goal with just four seconds left to secure the Fighting Saints victory.
In Kearney, Des Moines fell victim to the undefeated Tri-City Storm in a 3-0 shutout. Storm goalie Isaiah Saville was stellar in net, while his defense limited the Buccaneers to just 25 shots on goal. Even play from the victors resulted in a goal per period, as Tri-City saw tallies from Asa Kinnear, Ronnie Attard, and Rueben Rafkin to secure their fourth victory of the season. Des Moines will try to end their two-game losing streak by avenging the loss that started it with the rematch against the Stars tonight.
Head-to-Head:
The Stars and Bucs met last Saturday in a contest that saw Lincoln emerge with a 4-2 win. Lincoln started quickly in the contest, building a 2-0 lead in the first off scores from Shane Pinton on the power play and Hunter Carrick at even strength. Despite a third goal coming from Stars captain Josiah Slavin in the first three minutes of the second, Des Moines battled back in the period, trimming the deficit to one after goals from Patrick Schmiedlin and Matt Brown. Lincoln would erase the momentum near the mid-way point of the third when Devlin McCabe capped a strong night for the Stars top line, scoring his first tally of the year off assists from Slavin and Pinto. Lincoln's win handed the Buccaneers their first loss of the season.
By the Numbers:
GF: DM-4.00 (t-1) to LIN-3.60 (8)
GA: DM-3.20 (8) to LIN-4.00 (14)
PP: LIN-6 for 23, 26.1% (5) to DM-4 for 19, 21.1% (7)
PK: LIN-20 for 22, 90.9% (5) to DM-19 for 23, 82.6% (8)
What to Watch For:
Fast Start:
Both the Stars and Bucs have struggled to score first in contests this season. Each team has only opened the scoring in two of their five games. Both teams are 2-0 when doing so, and both are 0-2 when trailing after the first period.
On the Offensive:
The Buccaneers entered their last meeting with Lincoln as the top-ranked scoring offense in the league, egistering nearly six goals a contest. They've scored two goals in the two games since, and now share the top spot with two other teams. The Stars maintain a healthy 3.60 clip per game, but are searching for more consistency after being limited for large portions of last night's meeting with the Fighting Saints.
Scoring Slavin:
The Stars captain has been a nemesis to the Buccaneers since entering the USHL. After last Saturday's two-point performance, Slavin has scored eight goals and seven assists in 10 games against Des Moines since the start of 2017-18.
Dynamic Defensemen:
Entering play today, the top-scoring defenseman in the league is Bucs blue-liner Connor Senken, who's scored two goals and and three assists in five games this year. Right behind him is Stars defender Declan Carlile who has one goal and three assists through five contests. Both are coming off their first games being held off the scoresheet and will look to rebound in helping their respective team's add to the win column tonight.
United States Hockey League Stories from October 13, 2018
- Stampede Take Home Opener in a Shootout over Fargo - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Flying Aces Defeat the Capitols in the Shootout - Central Illinois Flying Aces
- Final Hand Favors the Gamblers - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Saints Beat Lancers 7-2 - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Stars Rally Falls Just Short against Des Moines - Lincoln Stars
- Fighting Saints Top Lancers, 7-2 - Omaha Lancers
- Steel Blanked by Lumberjacks, 6-0 - Chicago Steel
- Lincoln Heads Back to Des Moines Looking to Duplicate Last Week's Success - Lincoln Stars
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