Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 15
Published on January 3, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha, Neb. - The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) kick off the calendar year of 2012 with a busy three-game week, which includes showdowns against a trio of Western Conference rivals.
The Lancers also ring in the New Year by reinstating the team's kids/student ticket price for all remaining home games during the 2011-2012 season. Kids (ages 4-12) along with students presenting a valid student ID will receive $9 tickets in any seating level at the Omaha Civic Auditorium for Omaha's final 17 regular season home games and all home playoff games. Kids/student ticket prices effective January 4, 2012. No refunds for previously purchased tickets.
Omaha (15-10-2, 32 pts.) returned from the USHL's annual holiday break last Saturday and saw its five-game New Year's Eve winning streak come to an end following a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Tri-City Storm. Adam Wilcox registered 34 saves and his third shutout of the season as the Storm earned their first victory in the season series with the Lancers.
Omaha returns to action and takes the ice for the first time in 2012 tomorrow when the team heads to Sioux Falls for a showdown with the Stampede. Sioux Falls (10-13-1, 21 pts.) got right back into the swing of things last week in taking to the ice three times in a span of just four days following the break. The Stampede snapped their five-game losing skid Wednesday with a 2-0 shutout at the Chicago Steel before being blanked themselves 4-0 at the hands of the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Friday. Sioux Falls capped its busy week with a 3-1 victory at home over the Des Moines Buccaneers. After hosting Omaha tomorrow, the Stampede return to action Friday and Saturday with road tilts in Lincoln and Des Moines.
The Lancers then play their first home game of 2012 Friday when the team welcomes the Des Moines Buccaneers back to the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Like Sioux Falls, Des Moines (11-12-2, 24 pts.) played three games in four days last week but captured only one victory in its first week of action following the holiday break. The Buccaneers' week started strongly with a 5-2 win at Tri-City last Wednesday but faltered over the weekend with a 7-6 shootout defeat against Lincoln on Friday followed by a 3-1 setback in Sioux Falls on Saturday. After battling the Lancers on Friday, Des Moines returns home Saturday for a rematch with the Stampede.
Meanwhile, Omaha's busy week concludes Saturday when the Lancers welcome the Lincoln Stars to the Civic Auditorium for the first time this season. Lincoln (17-9-2, 36 pts.) earned four of a possible six standings points in three games last week and will appear at the Civic Auditorium to take on the Lancers for the first time this season and the first time since February 19, 2010. The Stars returned from the holiday break last Wednesday with a 5-3 victory at the Fargo Force and followed that up Friday evening with a 7-6 shootout victory over Des Moines. The week ended on a sour note though as Lincoln was shut out 5-0 at the hands of the Sioux City Musketeers on Saturday. Before traveling to Omaha on Saturday, the Stars begin Week 15 action at home against Sioux Falls.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 15-10-2, 32 pts. (2nd Western Conference)
- Omaha has won six of its last eight games and has outscored the opposition 33-11 in those six victories.
- F Jimmy Murray continues to lead all Lancers in scoring and is seventh among all USHL skaters in scoring with 30 points (six goals, 24 assists). Committed to St. Cloud State University, Murray leads all USHLers with 24 assists and enters the week having tallied 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) over his last eight games. The veteran from Darien, Illinois leads all Lancers with nine multi-point games this season.
- F Casey Bailey leads all Lancers and is tied for 11th among all USHL skaters with 13 goals this season. Bailey enters the week second among all Lancers with 21 points (13 goals, eight assists).
- F Greg Gozzo has vaulted into third place among all Lancers scorers with 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) after recording 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in his last eight games. Committed to Harvard University, Gozzo saw his four-game scoring streak snapped last Saturday.
- D Kevin Schulze leads all Omaha blueliners and is tied for seventh among all USHL defensemen in scoring with 14 points this season. Committed to the University of Wisconsin, Schulze is currently tied for the USHL lead with 14 assists this season. The former Muskegon Lumberjack has tallied eight points (eight assists) in 19 games since coming to Omaha in early November.
Opponents Notes:
Wednesday, Jan. 4 @ Sioux Falls Stampede - 10-13-1, 21 pts. (8th Western Conference)
- Wednesday's meeting is the third head-to-head meeting this season between Omaha and Sioux Falls. The Lancers are 2-0 against the Stampede this season after a 3-2 shootout victory on October 28th followed by a 5-2 win on December 17th.
- The Stampede are 7-6 at home this season but have been outscored 39-33 in 13 prior home games.
- F Austyn Young leads all Sioux Falls skaters in scoring with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) this season.
- The Stampede's power play enters the week 16th and last in the league at 11.6% (11-for-95) while Sioux Falls' penalty kills ranks 15th at 77.1%.
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Jan. 6 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers - 11-12-2, 24 pts. (T-5th Western Conference)
- Friday's match-up is the fourth meeting of the season between Omaha and Des Moines. The Lancers are 0-3 against the Buccaneers this season and have been outscored 17-7 in those three prior get-togethers.
- Des Moines is 5-7 on the road this season and has been outscored 44-38 in 12 prior road games. The Buccaneers are however 2-0 in two prior meetings at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
- F Anthony Greco leads all Des Moines skaters in scoring with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) this season. Committed to Ohio State University, Greco has tallied seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last four games.
- Des Moines' power play enters the week ranked 13th in the USHL at 13.6% (16-for-118) while the Buccaneers' penalty ranks eighth at 82.7%
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, Jan. 7 vs. Lincoln Stars - 17-9-2, 36 pts. (1st Western Conference)
- Saturday's meeting is the third of eight regular season meetings between Omaha and Lincoln. The Stars claimed the first head-to-head meeting with a 2-1 victory at the IceBox on November 12th but the Lancers responded in the most recent get-together grabbing a 7-2 victory in Lincoln.
- The Stars are 10-5-1 on the road this season and have outscored the opposition 55-47 in 16 prior road games.
- F Kevin Roy leads all Lincoln skaters and enters the week atop the USHL scoring race with 40 points (21 goals, 19 assists) this season. Roy leads all USHL skaters with 21 goals this season and 11 multi-point games.
- Lincoln's power play enters the week ranked third among all USHL clubs at 22.2% (24-for-108) while the Stars' penalty ranks 11th overall at 81.3%.
United States Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2012
- Phantoms Defenseman Eric Sweetman Commits to St. Lawrence - Youngstown Phantoms
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 15 - Omaha Lancers
- U.S. National Under-17 Team Scores Shootout Victory Over Sweden, 2-1, in World Under-17 Challenge - U.S. National Team
- U.S. National Junior Team Earns 12-2 Win Over Latvia at IIHF World Junior Championship - U.S. National Team
- Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Ice Home Saturday Night - Indiana Ice
- Buccaneers Complete Trade - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Musketeers Kick off Seven Game Road Trip in Fargo - Sioux City Musketeers
- Jordan Schmaltz Named USHL CCM Defensive Player of the Week - Green Bay Gamblers
- Kuraly, Schmaltz, Gillies, and Wilcox Earn Weekly USHL Awards - USHL
- Stampede Weekly Update: Herd Host Lancers Tomorrow Night - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Phantoms Notebook: Week 14 - Youngstown Phantoms
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