Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 14
Published on December 28, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Ralston, Neb. - The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) will close out the calendar year of 2012 this Saturday and Monday with a pair of games against Western Conference rivals.
Omaha (16-12, 32 pts.) returns from the USHL's holiday break on a high note as the Lancers have won five of their last six games and 12 of the team's last 15 contests overall. Omaha closed out the symbolic first half of the season last Friday with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Sioux City Musketeers at Ralston Arena. Robbie Baillargeon scored both Lancers' goals in regulation before Tyler Moy and Kyle Osteberg each scored in the shootout propelling Omaha to its USHL-best seventh shootout victory of the season. The Lancers are a perfect 7-0 in shootouts this season and have now earned a league-leading 11 one-goal victories this year. Alex Lyon backstopped the victory in goal with a season-high 43 saves.
Omaha returns to action tomorrow when the Lancers welcome the Tri-City Storm to Ralston Arena for the team's final home game in 2012. Tri-City (12-13-3, 27 pts.) enters the weekend in seventh place in the Western Conference and currently rests just four standings points behind sixth place Des Moines and only five points back of the fifth place Lancers. The Storm are looking to rebound after dropping both of their games prior to the holiday break. Tri-City suffered a 6-3 loss at the Sioux Falls Stampede last Friday before falling in a 6-5 shootout defeat at the Fargo Force on Saturday. The Storm enter the weekend having dropped six of their last eight games overall posting a 2-4-2 record during that stretch. Before visiting Omaha tomorrow, Tri-City returns to action tonight as it welcomes the Lincoln Stars to the Viaero Event Center. The Storm then wrap up their busy holiday weekend at home on Monday in a New Year's Eve clash with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Meanwhile, the Lancers close out 2012 on Monday evening as the team heads up to Sioux City for a showdown with the Musketeers. Sioux City (5-15-6, 16 pts.) currently ranks eighth and last in the Western Conference and enters the weekend 11 standings points back of seventh place Tri-City. The Musketeers suffered two more heartbreaking defeats last weekend falling in a 3-2 shootout loss in Omaha on Friday before dropping a 5-4 overtime decision at the Waterloo Black Hawks on Saturday. Sioux City enters the weekend having dropped four of its last five games and 12 of 14 overall. The Musketeers have suffered 12 one-goal losses this season (2-6-6) and are just 1-6 in games decided in either overtime or a shootout. Before hosting the Lancers on New Year's Eve, Sioux City first welcomes Waterloo to the Tyson Events Center tonight before traveling to Lincoln tomorrow to face off against the Stars.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 16-12-0, 32 pts. (5th Western Conference)
- Omaha enters the week in sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference with 32 standings points. The Lancers are currently just one point back of fourth place Lincoln and only two standings points behind third place Waterloo. Meanwhile, Omaha remains just five points behind Conference-leading Sioux Falls.
- G Alex Lyon has won four straight decisions and has posted an 8-1 record in his last 10 appearances in goal. During that stretch, the veteran netminder has compiled a 1.65 goals-against average coupled with a .948 save percentage. Committed to Yale University, Lyon ranks in the top five among USHL goaltenders in wins (11), goals-against average (2.41), save percentage (.922) and minutes played (1242).
- F Robbie Baillargeon, F Connor Chatham, D Matias Cleland and F Jake Randolph are all tied for the team lead in scoring with 19 points each. Baillargeon has tallied three goals and an assist in two games since being acquired by the Lancers in a trade with the Indiana Ice. Meanwhile, Cleland ranks second among all USHL defensemen in total scoring.
- The Lancers are 8-3 at home this season and have won four straight games at Ralston Arena and seven of the team's last eight overall contests in the new building.
- Omaha's power play currently ranks sixth overall at 20.3%. The Lancers are 12-3 when scoring a power play goal this season and enter the week having won nine straight games in which the team has managed to net a man-advantage marker. Meanwhile, Omaha's penalty kill ranks second overall at 86.4% and hasn't surrendered a power play goal against in four straight games.
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, Dec. 29 vs. Tri-City - 12-13-3, 27 pts. (7th Western Conference)
- Saturday's contest marks the fifth of eight total meetings during the 2012-13 regular season between the Lancers and Tri-City Storm. Omaha is just 1-3 against Tri-City this season and enters the weekend having suffered three straight setbacks to the Storm. The Lancers are 0-1 against Tri-City at Ralston Arena after a 3-0 loss to the Storm on Opening Night back on October 26th.
- Tri-City's Tim Bonner and Michael Vecchione lead all scorers in the season series with five points each. Meanwhile, Connor Chatham and Tyler Moy have paced the Lancers through the first four head-to-head meetings with four points apiece.
- F Trevor Moore currently leads all Tri-City skaters and is tied for 10th among all USHLers in scoring with 29 points. Committed to the University of Denver, Moore has tallied 13 goals and 16 points this season and enters the weekend in the midst of a five-game scoring streak.
- Tri-City is 5-5-3 on the road this season and has been outscored 43-35 in 13 prior road contests.
- The Storm's power play enters the weekend ranked seventh overall at 19.5% but is 0-for-7 in four prior meetings with the Lancers. Meanwhile, Tri-City's penalty kills ranks eighth overall at 82.4% and is just 12-for-16 (75%) against Omaha this year.
Monday, Dec. 31 @ Sioux City - 5-15-6, 16 pts. (8th Western Conference)
- Monday's contest marks the fifth of nine total meetings during the 2012-13 regular season between the Lancers and Sioux City Musketeers. Omaha is 3-1 against Sioux City this season and is 1-1 against the Musketeers in games played at the Tyson Events Center.
- Sioux City's Jake Guentzel leads all scorers in the season series with five points (2 goals, 3 assists) while Drew Melanson has paced the Lancers with four points (goal, 3 assists) through the first four meetings.
- F Riley Bourbonnais continues to lead all Musketeers in scoring with 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists). Bourbonnais has already registered seven goals and eight points in just eight games since joining Sioux City in a trade with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
- Sioux City is 4-6-2 at home this season and has been outscored 34-30 in 12 prior games at the Tyson Events Center.
- The Musketeers' power play currently ranks eighth overall at 18.5% but is just 2-for-15 (13.3%) in four prior meetings with Omaha. Meanwhile, Sioux City's penalty kill ranks seventh overall at 82.5% and is 15-for-18 (83.3%) against the Lancers this year.
United States Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2012
- Stampede Earn Big Win on the Road in Fargo - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Fighting Saints Down Muskegon Friday, 6-3 - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Lincoln Downs Tri-City with Late Overtime Goal - Tri-City Storm
- Lumberjacks Start Slow, Fall to Dubuque on the Road 6-3 - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Sioux City Slows Hawks - Waterloo Black Hawks
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Downs Canada Pacific, 6-2, at 2013 World U17 Challenge - U.S. National Team
- Storm Sign Tory Dello to Tender - Tri-City Storm
- Stampede Return Home Sunday at 5:05 pm to Face Des Moines - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 14 - Omaha Lancers
- U.S. National Jr. Team Falls to Russia, 2-1, in 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship - U.S. National Team
- Ice Wrap up 2012 Sunday with 6:05 pm Contest vs. Chicago - Indiana Ice
- Conor Lemirande Joins the Lumberjacks - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Game Today Bucs vs Cedar Rapids - Des Moines Buccaneers
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