Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week Five
Published on October 27, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha, Neb. - A week after facing a pair of familiar foes, the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) will square off in Week Five against a pair of teams they haven't yet seen during the 2011-2012 season.
The weekend home stand for Omaha (3-2-1, 7 pts.) begins Friday with the team's first of eight regular season showdowns with the Sioux Falls Stampede. Sioux Falls (3-3-0, 6 pts.) is coming off a successful weekend, which saw the Stampede win back-to-back games at home against the Lincoln Stars and Fargo Force. After a 2-1 victory over Lincoln on Friday, Sioux Falls put together its first winning streak of the season by dropping Fargo 4-1 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Lancers return to the frozen surface this Friday after splitting a pair of Western Conference contests last weekend. After Omaha extended its winning streak to three consecutive games Friday with a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory over Fargo, the Waterloo Black Hawks quickly nipped that run on Saturday with a 4-2 win at the Young Arena. Friday's showdown in Omaha is the Stampede's only goal this week.
Omaha's weekend then concludes Saturday when the Lancers welcome the Youngstown Phantoms to the Omaha Civic Auditorium for the only get-together of the year between the cross-conference rivals. Youngstown (4-2-0, 8 pts.) is coming off a split in two games last week. After earning the team's third straight home victory with a 4-3 win over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Thursday, the Phantoms saw their four-game winning streak overall come to an end Saturday with a 5-4 setback at the hands of the U.S. National Team Developmental Program's Under-17 squad. Before visiting Omaha on Saturday, Youngstown begins it weekend in Kearney, Nebraska on Friday in a showdown with the Tri-City Storm.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 3-2-1, 7 pts. (T-3rd Western Conference)
- G Alex Lyon surrendered his first goal-against of the 2011-2012 season last Friday in Omaha's 3-2 overtime victory over the Fargo Force. Neal Goff's tally early in the second period snapped a stretch of 146:26 of scoreless hockey for Lyon to kick off the 2011-2012 campaign. The Lancers netminder enters Week Five of USHL action ranked first in the league in both goals-against average (1.46) and save percentage (.945).
- F Jimmy Murray continues to lead all Lancers in overall scoring with six points (goal, five assists). Murray registered Omaha's first multi-point game of the season Friday with two assists against Fargo and followed that with a goal and an assist Saturday in Waterloo.
- F Jonathan Liau recorded his first goal of the 2011-2012 season in last Friday's 3-2 victory over Fargo. Liau then tallied his first multi-point effort of the young season 24 hours later notching a goal and an assist in Waterloo.
- F Matt Gaudreau tallied his first career USHL goal Friday with the overtime game-winning strike in Omaha's come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Force.
- Newly acquired D Nolan Zajac will wear jersey #11 when he makes his Omaha Lancers debut this weekend. Meanwhile, newly acquired G Thatcher Demko will appear in a Lancers sweater for the first time this weekend as well wearing jersey #35.
- Omaha's penalty kill enters Week Five of USHL action ranked fourth overall at 90.9%. The Lancers have successfully killed 20 of 22 man-down situations and have surrendered just one five-on-four goal-against through the first six games.
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Oct. 28 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede - 3-3-0, 6 pts. (T-5th Western Conference)
- Sioux Falls returns a Western Conference-low five skaters from last season's roster. The Stampede roster does showcase three additional skaters with USHL experience in F Justin Selman (DM), D Dan Carlson (USA) and D Matt Van Voorhis (USA).
- F Austyn Young is the team's leading returning scorer after recording 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 54 games a season ago. Through six games this season, Young has four points (two goals, two assists).
- F Todd Skirving currently leads all Stampede skaters in scoring with six points (four goals, two assists) thanks in large part to a three-point (goal, two assists) performance last Saturday in the team's 4-1 win over Fargo.
- G Stephon Williams enters the weekend ranked second among all USHL goaltenders in save percentage (.938) and fifth in goals-against average (2.09). Williams is coming off a particularly impressive weekend in which he surrendered just two goals-against in 120 minutes of crease duty while turning aside 62 of 64 total shots.
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, Oct. 29 vs. Youngstown Phantoms - 4-2-0, 8 pts. (5th Western Conference)
- Halloween Costume Contest presented by Mangelsen's, Nobbies & Ibsen Costume. Fans are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to the game for a chance to win prizes.
- First Family Night of the 2011-2012 season! $5 tickets for all kids 12 & under!
- Post-Game Party at Ice House (108th & Maple) following the game with players, coaches & staff!
- F Austin Cangelosi is currently tied for the USHL lead in overall scoring with 11 points and ranks first among all USHL skaters with eight goals. The Boston College recruit has tallied points in each of the first six games of his USHL career, including five multi-point games.
- Cangelosi along with F Mike Ambrosia and D Chris Bradley are currently tied for second among all USHL skaters with a +8 +/- rating.
- Despite having tallied 23 goals overall through the team's first six games, Youngstown has managed just one power play tally and enters the weekend with the league's lowest power play percentage at 4.76% (1-for-21).
United States Hockey League Stories from October 27, 2011
- Bucs Player Commits to Colorado College - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Bucs Complete Trade - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Green Bay Gamblers Weekly - Green Bay Gamblers
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week Five - Omaha Lancers
- Lumberjacks Log: Week 4 - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Phantoms Search for Franchise Firsts in the Cornhusker State - Youngstown Phantoms
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