Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 25
Published on March 12, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Ralston, Neb. - With just 10 regular season games remaining, the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) continue their push for one of the four playoff spots in the Western Conference this week as the team welcomes the Tri-City Storm and Green Bay Gamblers to Ralston Arena.
Omaha (31-23, 62 pts.) split a pair of games last week and remains one point back of the Waterloo Black Hawks for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West. Waterloo enters the week having played two fewer games than the Lancers with the Black Hawks set to square off against the Chicago Steel tonight. Meanwhile, Omaha enters the week three standings points behind the third-place Lincoln Stars. Lincoln will draw even in games played with the Lancers tonight following its showdown at the Fargo Force.
Omaha returns to action tomorrow as the team faces off against the Tri-City Storm for the final time this season. Like Omaha, Tri-City (21-25-6, 48 pts.) split a pair of games last weekend earning a 6-3 victory over the Lancers on Friday before falling in a 6-3 decision to the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Saturday. All told, the Storm have dropped eight of their last 11 games overall having posted a 3-6-2 mark during that stretch. Still, Tri-City enters tomorrow's showdown having won six straight head-to-head meetings with Omaha. After Wednesday's showdown, the Storm return home Friday for a contest with the Western Conference-leading Sioux Falls Stampede.
Meanwhile, the Lancers conclude their week on Friday when the team welcomes the defending Anderson Cup and Clark Cup champion Green Bay Gamblers to Ralston Arena for the first and only time this season. Green Bay (32-17-3, 67 pts.) won all three games last week and now holds the fourth highest standings points total in the league. The Gamblers busy week began with back-to-back victories over the U.S. National Team Development Program Friday and Saturday before concluding with a 6-4 triumph over the Youngstown Phantoms on Sunday. Green Bay enters the week having won eight of its last 11 games and 12 of 17 overall. After Friday's showdown at Ralston Arena, the Gamblers continue west for a Saturday meeting in Lincoln with the Stars.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 31-23-0, 62 pts. (5th Western Conference)
- Omaha enters the week in sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference standings. The Lancers are just one standings point behind the Waterloo Black Hawks for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West. Meanwhile, Omaha is three points back of the third-place Lincoln Stars. Lincoln has played one fewer game than the Lancers to date while Waterloo has played two fewer.
- Affiliate player F Shane Gersich will rejoin the team for both games this week. Committed to the University of North Dakota, Gersich made his Lancers debut two weeks ago and registered 17 minutes in penalties to go along with a +1 rating and three shots on goal in his first two games in Omaha.
- D Jake Bischoff will also return to the Lancers lineup tomorrow. Bischoff missed last Sunday's game while attending the Minnesota Mr. Hockey banquet. Committed to the University of Minnesota, Bischoff has tallied one assist and six shots on goal in two games this season.
F Grant Besse will join the Lancers this Friday vs. Green Bay. Winner of Minnesota's Mr. Hockey last Sunday and committed to the University of Wisconsin, Besse just finished his senior season at Benilde-St. Margaret's where he registered 48 goals and 76 points in 28 games this season.
- F Robbie Baillargeon continues to lead all Lancers in scoring this season with 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists). Committed to Boston University, Baillargeon leads all Lancers with 18 goals and has tallied 26 points in 28 games since coming to Omaha in a trade with the Indiana Ice.
- G Alex Lyon has started 18 of the team's last 20 games and has produced a 12-6 record during that stretch. Committed to Yale University, Lyon is second among all USHL goaltenders with 24 wins this season and also boasts the league's second-best save percentage (.919) and fourth-best goals-against average (2.54).
- Omaha's power play currently ranks sixth overall at 18.4% while the Lancers penalty kill remains first in the USHL at 86.6%. Omaha is 23-7 when scoring a power play goal this season and 24-12 when holding its opponent without a man-advantage conversion.
Opponents Notes:
Wednesday, March 13 vs. Tri-City - 21-25-6, 48 pts. (6th Western Conference)
- Wednesday's contest marks the eighth and final meeting during the 2012-13 regular season between the Lancers and Tri-City Storm. Omaha is just 1-6 against Tri-City this season and has dropped six straight head-to-head meetings with the Storm. Four of those six setbacks have been by just a single goal.
- The Storm enter the week in sole possession of sixth place in the Western Conference. Tri-City trails Waterloo by 15 standings points for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West with just 12 games remaining.
- Tri-City's Tim Bonner and Brian Ward lead all scorers in the season series with seven points each. Meanwhile, Connor Chatham has paced the Lancers with six points through the first seven meetings.
- F Trevor Moore leads all Tri-City skaters in scoring this season with 52 points (19 goals, 33 assists).
- Tri-City is 9-12-4 on the road this season and has been outscored 90-76 in 25 prior road games. The Storm are 3-0 at Ralston Arena this season.
- Tri-City's power play enters the week ranked third overall at 21.2% but is just 1-for-13 in seven prior meetings with the Lancers. Meanwhile, the Storm's penalty is 13th overall at 79.3% and is 18-for-23 (78.3%) head-to-head against Omaha this season.
Friday, March 15 vs. Green Bay Gamblers - 32-17-3, 67 pts. (2nd Eastern Conference)
- Friday's contest marks the first and only meeting of the 2012-13 regular season between the Lancers and Green Bay Gamblers. Omaha suffered a 5-0 loss in Green Bay in the only meeting between the two teams last season. Meanwhile, the Gamblers return to Omaha for the first time since February 18, 2011 when Green Bay earned a 3-0 victory over the Lancers at Omaha Civic Auditorium.
- Green Bay enters the week in sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference. The Gamblers trail conference-leading Dubuque by 13 points and hold a one standings point edge over third-place Muskegon.
- F Kyle Novak leads all Gamblers and is tied for third among all USHL skaters in scoring this season with 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists). Committed to Western Michigan University, Novak has registered at least one point in 17 of his last 18 games tallying 13 goals, 12 assists and 25 points during that stretch.
- Green Bay is 15-10-2 on the road this season and has outscored its opposition 92-87 in 27 prior road contests.
- The Gamblers' power play enters the week ranked second overall at 24.6% while Green Bay's penalty kill is seventh overall at 82.9%.
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