Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week 29
Published on April 10, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Ralston, Neb. - The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) close out the 2012-2013 regular season this weekend when they face off against the Eastern Conference regular season champion Dubuque Fighting Saints on Friday before traveling to Sioux Falls on Saturday for a meeting with the Western Conference champion Stampede.
Omaha (34-27-1, 69 pts.) split a pair of games last weekend in a home-and-home weekend series with the Lincoln Stars. The Lancers were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with a 4-3 loss in Lincoln on Friday but rebounded with a 3-2 triumph over the Stars at Ralston Arena on Saturday. Omaha finished its regular season series with a 7-2-1 record head-to-head against Lincoln.
The Lancers return to action this Friday when the team welcomes the Anderson Cup regular season champion Dubuque Fighting Saints to Ralston Arena for Omaha's final home game of the year. Dubuque (43-11-8, 94 pts.) dropped back-to-back 4-3 decisions last weekend suffering a shootout defeat to the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday before falling in regulation in Sioux Falls on Saturday. Despite their shootout setback on Friday, the Fighting Saints claimed the Anderson Cup regular season championship as a result of the Stampede's 7-4 regulation loss to the Fargo Force. It's the first Anderson Cup championship for Dubuque and the second time the Saints have finished atop the Eastern Conference since returning to the USHL in 2010. After facing off against the Lancers on Friday, the Fighting Saints close out their regular season Saturday in Des Moines.
Meanwhile, Omaha completes its 2012-2013 season on Saturday when the team heads to Sioux Falls to battle the Western Conference regular season champion Stampede. Sioux Falls (43-17-2, 88 pts.) split a pair of games last weekend suffering a 7-4 setback in Fargo on Friday before closing out the weekend with a 4-3 victory over Dubuque. Saturday's win over the Fighting Saints secured the Stampede with number one seed in the Western Conference portion of the 2013 Clark Cup playoffs just one year after Sioux Falls finished in last place in the West. Before welcoming the Lancers to town on Saturday, the Stampede first play host to the Des Moines Buccaneers on Friday.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 34-27-1, 69 pts. (5th Western Conference)
- With just two regular season games remaining, the Lancers are guaranteed to finish in fifth place in the Western Conference. Omaha enters the season's final weekend eight points back of the fourth-place Lincoln Stars and 15 points clear of the sixth-place Des Moines Buccaneers.
- F Jake Randolph continues to lead all Lancers in scoring this season with 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists).
- D Matias Cleland leads all Omaha defenseman and is third among all USHL blueliners in scoring this season with 39 points (nine goals, 30 assists). Committed to the University of New Hampshire, Cleland is tied for third among all USHL defensemen with 30 assists.
- G Alex Lyon has started 24 of the team's last 28 games and has produced a 14-9-1 record during that stretch. Committed to Yale University, Lyon is third among all USHL goaltenders with 26 wins this season and also boasts the league's second-best save percentage (.916) and fourth-best goals-against average (2.65). In addition, the veteran from Baudette, Minnesota ranks second among all goaltenders in both minutes played (2834) and first in total saves (1367).
- The Lancers are 19-12 at home this season and have outscored their opposition 87-85 in 31 prior home contests. Meanwhile, Omaha is 15-1451 on the road this year and has been outscored 91-86 in 31 prior road contests. The Lancers have claimed just one of their last seven road outings posting a 1-5-1 record during that stretch.
- Omaha's power play currently ranks sixth overall at 18.1% while the Lancers penalty kill remains first in the USHL at 85.7%. Omaha is 24-10-1 when scoring a power play goal this season and has allowed zero power play goals against in 40 of 62 games this year.
Opponents Notes:
Friday, April 12 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints - 43-11-8, 94 pts. (1st Eastern Conference)
- Friday's contest marks the second and final meeting of the 2012-13 regular season between Omaha and Dubuque. The Fighting Saints claimed the only prior meeting with a 5-3 victory in Dubuque back on January 11th.
- Dubuque enters the season's final weekend having already secured the Anderson Cup regular season championship and the number one seed in the Eastern Conference portion of the 2013 Clark Cup playoffs. With just two standings points separating the other three Eastern Conference playoff participants, the Saints could face either Green Bay, Youngstown or Muskegon in the opening round of the postseason.
- F Mike Szmatula leads all Dubuque skaters and is tied for third among all USHLers in scoring with 76 points. Committed to Northeastern University, Szmatula leads all USHL skaters with 37 goals and is tied with Omaha's Tucker Poolman for the league lead in power play goals (12).
- The Fighting Saints are 18-8-4 on the road this season and have outscored their opposition 98-75 in 30 prior road outings.
- Dubuque's power play enters the week ranked fifth overall at 19.8% and was 3-for-6 in its only prior meeting with the Lancers. Meanwhile, the Fighting Saints penalty kill is 15th among the 16 teams in the league at 78.3% and was 4-for-5 in its only prior meeting with Omaha.
Saturday, April 13 @ Sioux Falls Stampede - 43-17-2, 88 pts. (1st Western Conference)
- Saturday's contest marks the eighth and final meeting of the 2012-13 regular season between the Omaha Lancers and Sioux Falls Stampede. Omaha is 5-2 against Sioux Falls this season including a 1-2 mark in games played at the Sioux Falls Arena.
- The Stampede enter the weekend having already secured the number one seed in the Western Conference portion of the 2013 Clark Cup playoffs. Sioux Falls will face either the Waterloo Black Hawks or Lincoln Stars in the postseason's opening round next week.
- Stampede F Dennis Kravchenko leads all scorers in the season series with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) while Jake Randolph has paced the Lancers with seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) through the first seven get-togethers.
- Kravchenko leads all Sioux Falls skaters in scoring this season with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists). F C.J. Franklin leads all Stampede skaters with 31 goals this year.
- Sioux Falls is 22-8 at home this season and has outscored its opposition 120-92 in 30 prior home contests.
- The Stampede's power play ranks 10th overall at 16.3% and is just 2-for-24 (8.3%) against the Lancers. Meanwhile, Sioux Falls' penalty kill is fourth overall at 84.3% and is 24-for-28 (85.7%) in the season series with Omaha.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2013
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