Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 21
Published on February 15, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha, Neb. - There are two teams within the United States Hockey League (USHL) that the Omaha Lancers have yet to face. That changes this weekend when the Lancers welcome the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Indiana Ice to the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Omaha (25-13-3, 53 pts.) split a pair of games last weekend as the team kicked off a season-long four-game home stand. The weekend began with a dramatic 5-4 shootout victory over the Lincoln Stars on Friday. Thatcher Demko turned aside all six Lincoln attempts in the shootout while Anthony Hamburg netted the game-winner as Omaha won its fifth straight tilt in the I-80 rivalry series. The Lancers then suffered just their fifth regulation loss over the last 22 games on Saturday when the team fell in a 4-2 decision to the Waterloo Black Hawks. Waterloo goaltender Stephon Williams registered 34 saves on 36 Omaha shots while Ryan Papa added a goal and an assist as the Black Hawks earned their third victory in four head-to-head meetings with the Lancers.
Omaha returns to action this Friday when the team welcomes the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders to the Civic Auditorium for the first and only time this season. Cedar Rapids (17-15-8, 42 pts.) split a home-and-home series with the Dubuque Fighting Saints last weekend earning a 6-3 home win on Friday before suffering a 3-0 shutout in Dubuque on Saturday. The loss was the RoughRiders' fourth setback in the team's last six games overall and Cedar Rapids has now dropped five of its last six road contests. After facing off in Omaha on Friday, Cedar Rapids returns home Saturday to take on the Fargo Force before traveling to Chicago on Sunday to battle the Steel.
The Lancers then conclude their four-game home stand Saturday when the team takes on the Indiana Ice for the first and only time this season. Indiana (25-10-5, 55 pts.) won both of its games last weekend earning a 2-0 shutout over Chicago on Friday before outlasting the Muskegon Lumberjacks 6-5 in overtime on Saturday. The Ice have won three of their last four games and four of six overall. Before traveling to Omaha on Saturday, Indiana kicks off its weekend in Des Moines on Friday in a showdown with the Buccaneers.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 25-13-3, 53 pts. (1st Western Conference)
- Omaha enters the weekend having won 10 of its last 14 games is 16-5-1 under Interim Head Coach Mike Aikens and Interim Associate Coach Michael Zucker. The Lancers have seen six of their last nine games decided by a single goal and Omaha currently boasts a record of 11-3-3 in one-goal games this season.
- Friday's showdown is the third of four straight home games for the Lancers. Omaha is 13-7-1 at the Civic Auditorium this season and has outscored its opposition 70-61 in 21 prior home games.
- F Jimmy Murray continues to lead all Lancers and is tied for third among all USHL skaters in scoring with 48 points (14 goals, 34 assists). Committed to St. Cloud State University, Murray enters the week in the midst of a season-long seven-game point streak having notched six goals and six assists during that stretch.
- F Casey Bailey leads all Lancers and is tied for 10th among all USHL skaters with 19 goals this season. Bailey enters the weekend second among all Lancers with 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) and has registered points in 12 of his last 14 games overall posting six goals and 14 assist during that time.
- D Nolan Zajac enters the weekend leading all Lancers defensemen and all USHL blueliners in scoring with 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) this season. Committed to the University of Denver, Zajac has tallied points in 10 of his last 11 games overall notching four goals and 12 assists during that time.
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Feb. 17 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - 17-15-8, 42 pts. (5th Eastern Conference)
- Friday's meeting is the first of two regular season meetings between Omaha and Cedar Rapids. The Lancers travel to Cedar Rapids for the series finale with the RoughRiders on Saturday, March 10th. Omaha went 0-1-1 against Cedar Rapids last season and is 10-4-3 against the RoughRiders over the last five years.
- Cedar Rapids is 6-12-3 on the road this season and has been outscored 73-44 in 21 prior road contests.
- Cedar Rapids' roster currently features 10 skaters with USHL experience including five returning RoughRiders. F Ryan McGrath is the team's leading returning scorer after notching 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 58 games last season.
- F Nick Saracino enters the weekend leading all RoughRiders in scoring and is currently tied for 15th among all USHL skaters with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) this season. Saracino enters the week in the midst of a season-high eight-game point scoring having tallied six goals and 11 assists during that run.
- Friday's meeting is the first for Lancers D Nolan Zajac against his former team. It will also mark the return of former Lancers D Nathan Widman to Omaha. Widman has tallied two goals and two assists in 32 games with Cedar Rapids while Zajac has recorded seven goals and 22 assists in 35 games since being dealt to the Lancers.
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Indiana Ice - 25-10-5, 55 pts. (2nd Eastern Conference)
- Saturday's meeting is the first and only meeting during the 2011-2012 regular season between Omaha and Indiana. Due to an offseason adjustment in the scheduling matrix, the Lancers don't travel to Indiana this season.
- Indiana is 11-5-3 on the road this season and has outscored its opposition 65-61 in 19 prior road games.
- Indiana's roster currently features 12 skaters with USHL experience including six returning skaters from last year's team. F Daniil Tarasov is the team's leading returning scorer after tallying 75 points (37 goals, 38 points) in 57 games last season.
- F Daniil Tarasov currently leads all Ice skaters in scoring and enters the week ranked among all USHLers with 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) this year. The native of Moscow, Russia has registered 21 multi-point games this season.
- G Jon Gillies currently leads all USHL goaltenders with 22 wins and a .921 save percentage this season. Committed to Northeastern University, the 6'5" netminder ranks fourth among all USHL netminders with a 2.56 goals-against average.
United States Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2012
- Stampede End Skid with 5-2 Thumping of Des Moines - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Phantoms Forward Soren Jonzzon Commits to Quinnipiac - Youngstown Phantoms
- Tri-City Storm to Show Their Skills on Free Live Broadcast - USHL
- Bemidji Beckons Hawks Hansen - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 21 - Omaha Lancers
- Lumberjacks Log: Alumni Game Raises Big Money for Charity - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- National Team Development Program Weekly Update - U.S. National Team
- Youngstown Phantoms Game April 6 Vs. Chicago Moved to the Ice Zone - Youngstown Phantoms
- 2012 Fargo Force Skills Challenge March 4 - Fargo Force
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