Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 26
Published on March 20, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Ralston, Neb. - With just eight 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 faces off against the Lincoln Stars on Saturday before welcoming the Des Moines Buccaneers to Ralston Arena on Sunday.
Omaha (32-24, 64 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 Fargo Force at home on Friday before welcoming the USHL-leading Dubuque Fighting Saints to Young Arena on Saturday. Waterloo has dropped seven of its last 12 games overall posting a 5-5-2 record during that stretch. Meanwhile, Omaha enters the week five standings points behind the third-place Lincoln Stars. Lincoln is now even in games played with the Lancers and is preparing for home showdowns this weekend against the Sioux Falls Stampede and Omaha. The Stars have won four of their last five games and seven of 10 overall.
Omaha returns to action this Saturday when the team continues its playoff push with a critical showdown at the Lincoln Ice Box against the Stars. Lincoln (33-20-3, 69 pts.) won two of three games last week and remains in sole possession of third place in the Western Conference standings. After a 4-2 setback in Fargo last Tuesday, the Stars rebounded with a 6-4 triumph at the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday followed by a convincing 6-2 victory over the Green Bay Gamblers on Saturday. Before welcoming the Lancers to town on Saturday, the Stars open their weekend Friday with a visit from Sioux Falls.
Meanwhile, Omaha closes its Western Conference rivalry weekend Sunday when the team welcomes the Buccaneers to Ralston Arena for the final time this season. Des Moines (22-30-3, 47 pts.) split a pair of games in Fargo last weekend and is now tied for the bottom spot in the conference alongside the Sioux City Musketeers. The Buccaneers enter the week having dropped eight of their last 10 games and 12 of 15 overall. Before traveling to Omaha on Sunday, Des Moines' busy weekend begins Friday at the Tri-City Storm before a home contest against Sioux City on Saturday.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 32-24-0, 64 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 five points back of the third-place Lincoln Stars. Lincoln and Omaha are even in games played while Waterloo has played two fewer games to date.
- F Grant Besse will remain with Omaha for both games this weekend. Committed to the University of Wisconsin, Besse made his Lancers debut last Friday in the team's 6-1 loss to the Green Bay Gamblers. The native of Plymouth, Minnesota registered two shots on goal and a minus-two rating last Friday after he registered 48 goals and 76 points in 28 games at Benilde-St. Margaret's.
- G Alex Lyon has started 20 of the team's last 22 games and has produced a 13-7 record during that stretch. Committed to Yale University, Lyon is third among all USHL goaltenders with 25 wins this season and also boasts the league's second-best save percentage (.917) and fourth-best goals-against average (2.59).
- Omaha's power play currently ranks sixth overall at 18.1% while the Lancers penalty kill remains first in the USHL at 86.5%. Omaha is 24-7 when scoring a power play goal this season and 25-12 when holding its opponent without a man-advantage conversion.
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, March 23 @ Lincoln - 33-20-3, 69 pts. (3rd Western Conference)
- Saturday's contest marks the eighth of 10 total meetings during the 2012-13 regular season between the Lancers and Lincoln Stars. Omaha is 6-1 against Lincoln this season and claimed the most recent get-together with a 4-2 win in the Mutual of Omaha Battles on Ice on February 9th. Four of the Lancers' six victories over the Stars have come by a single goal.
- Lincoln enters the week in sole possession of third place in the Western Conference. The Stars trail second-place Fargo by just four points while holding a four point edge over fourth-place Waterloo.
- Lincoln's Luke Johnson and Eric Scheid lead all scorers in the season series with seven points each. Meanwhile, Omaha's Connor Chatham has paced the Lancers in scoring with five points through the first seven meetings. Lancers G Alex Lyon is 5-0 against the Stars with a 1.99 goals-against average coupled with a .947 save percentage.
- Scheid leads all Lincoln skaters and enters the week tied for ninth among all USHLers in scoring with 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists). A native of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Scheid has tallied nine points (five goals, four assists) in his last four games.
- The Stars are 17-8-3 at home this season and have outscored their opposition 97-75 in 28 prior home games. Lincoln is 0-1-2 at home this season against the Lancers with all three setbacks coming by just a single goal.
- Lincoln's power play enters the week ranked 10th overall at 16.1% and is 4-for-25 (16.0%) against Omaha. Meanwhile, the Stars' penalty kill is 14th in the league at 78.1% and is just 22-for-31 (70.9%) against the Lancers.
Sunday, March 24 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers - 22-30-3, 47 pts. (T-7th Western Conference)
- Sunday's contest marks the sixth and final meeting of the 2012-13 regular season between the Lancers and Des Moines Buccaneers. Omaha is 4-1 against Des Moines and has claimed four straight head-to-head meetings with the Buccaneers. Since a 6-2 defeat in Des Moines on October 12th, the Lancers have outscored the Buccaneers 11-3 en route to four straight triumphs.
- Des Moines enters the week tied with Sioux City for seventh and last in the Western Conference. The Buccaneers are one loss (any variety) or one Waterloo victory away from being mathematically eliminated from the 2013 Clark Cup playoffs.
- Omaha's Matias Cleland leads all scorers in the season series with four points (goal, three assists).
- F Joseph Gambardella leads all Des Moines skaters in scoring with 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games this season.
- Des Moines is 9-16-2 on the road this season and has been outscored 104-68 in 27 prior road contests.
- The Buccaneers' power play enters the week ranked 14th overall at 15.5% and is just 1-for-17 (5.9%) against the Lancers. Meanwhile, Des Moines' penalty kill is 12th overall (79.9%) and is 15-for-19 (78.9%) in five prior meetings with Omaha.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2013
- Stampede Clinch Playoff Berth with Victory over Tri-City - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Sioux Falls Outlasts Shorthanded Storm - Tri-City Storm
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 26 - Omaha Lancers
- USHL Update - Week 25 - USHL
- Musketeers Hold off Storm - Tri-City Storm
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