Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week Nine
Published on November 22, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha, Neb. - The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) return to action this week as they prepare for a busy three-game holiday week.
Omaha (9-6-1, 19 pts.) is coming off a split during its two-game home stand last weekend. After a 6-4 setback to the Des Moines Buccaneers on Friday, Omaha responded with a 6-4 victory of its own over the Sioux City Musketeers on Saturday. The Lancers have now won nine of their last 14 games overall and have scored 29 goals over the last seven games.
The Lancers return to action tomorrow evening when they head to Des Moines for a pre-Thanksgiving showdown with the Buccaneers. Wednesday's clash will be the third regular season meeting between the longtime Western Conference rivals and the third head-to-head get-together over the last 13 days. Like Omaha, Des Moines (6-6-1, 13 pts.) split its two games last weekend. After a 6-4 win in Omaha on Friday, the Buccaneers returned home Saturday only to suffer a 4-2 setback to the Sioux Falls Stampede. After Wednesday's clash with the Lancers, Des Moines will head to Chicago Friday before concluding its own three-game week Saturday at home versus the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
After an off day on Thanksgiving, Omaha returns to the frozen surface Friday with its final regular season clash with the defending Clark Cup champion Fighting Saints. Dubuque (10-4-1, 21 pts.) split two games last weekend claiming a 4-2 victory at the Chicago Steel on Saturday after suffering a 6-3 loss at the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday. After winning seven consecutive games from mid-October to early-November, the Fighting Saints have now dropped three of their last five contests overall. Before hosting Omaha on Friday, Dubuque welcomes the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders to the Mystique Ice Center on Wednesday and then closes its three-game holiday week Saturday at Des Moines.
Meanwhile Omaha concludes its three-game week Saturday with the team's first and only clash of the 2011-2012 regular season with the Green Bay Gamblers. Green Bay (12-3-0, 24 pts.) swept both of its games last weekend with a 4-2 victory at Team USA followed by a 6-0 shutout at the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Gamblers enter the week having won five straight games and seven of the team's last eight tilts overall. Green Bay is home this entire holiday week as the Gamblers welcome Indiana on Wednesday and Muskegon on Friday before hosting Omaha on Saturday.
Omaha Notes:
Omaha Lancers - 9-6-1, 19 pts. (2nd Western Conference)
- F Jimmy Murray leads all Lancers and is currently fourth among all USHL skaters with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) this season. The native of Darien, Illinois is second among all USHLers with 13 assists and enters the week having notched at least one point in 11 of his last 14 games overall.
- F Casey Bailey is currently in the midst of a five-game scoring streak. The native of Anchorage, Alaska has tallied nine points (six goals, three assists) during his recent run. Bailey is currently tied for second among all Lancers in overall scoring this season with 14 points (eight goals, six assists).
- F Tanner Lane is tied with Bailey for second on the team in scoring with 14 points (two goals, 12 assists). Lane has tallied five points (goal, four assists) in five games since coming to Omaha by way of the Fargo Force.
- Omaha's power play was on fire last weekend scoring four times on just 10 man-advantage opportunities. The Lancers power play has now scored seven times over the last seven games and currently ranks seventh among all USHL clubs at 15.9%.
Opponents Notes:
Wednesday, Nov. 23 @ Des Moines Buccaneers - 6-6-1, 13 pts. (T-4th Western Conference)
- Des Moines is 2-0 against the Lancers this season after a 5-3 victory at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on November 11th followed by a 6-4 win in Omaha last Friday. The Buccaneers have outscored the Lancers 11-7 in two prior meetings.
- F Justin Hussar saw his five-game scoring streak snapped last Saturday in a 4-2 loss to Sioux Falls. The native of Lancaster, New York has notched seven points (two goals, five assists) over his last six games.
- F Trent Samuels-Thomas leads all Buccaneers in scoring with 10 points (five goals, five assists) through the team's first 13 games.
- Des Moines enters the week having won five of the team's last seven games overall.
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Nov. 25 @ Dubuque Fighting Saints - 10-4-1, 21 pts. (2nd Eastern Conference)
- Omaha claimed its only prior meeting with Dubuque as the Lancers battled back for a 5-4 overtime victory against the Fighting Saints back on November 5th at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
- F Zemgus Girgensons leads all Dubuque skaters and ranks third among all USHLers in scoring with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists). Girgensons is currently tied for the USHL lead with eight power play points (four goals, four assists).
- G Gabe Antoni has started eight straight games in place of the injured Matt Morris. Antoni is 5-2-1 during that stretch with a 2.76 goals-against average (GAA) coupled with a .878 save percentage. The native of Lansdale, Pennsylvania is 7-2-1 overall this season with a 2.46 GAA and a .890 save %.
- After surrendering just 15 goals against through the first 10 games of the season, Dubuque has given up 21 goals against over the last five games. The Saints are 2-2-1 during that stretch.
Opponents Notes:
Saturday, Nov. 26 @ Green Bay Gamblers - 12-3-0, 24 pts. (1st Eastern Conference)
- Green Bay enters the week in the midst of a five-game winning streak and now holds the USHL's best winning percentage (.800) through the season's first eight weeks.
- The Gamblers return nine skaters from last season's roster, which went 41-15-4 during the 2010-2011 regular season and eventually fell in the Clark Cup Finals to Dubuque.
- F Nolan LaPorte and F Kyle Novak lead all Green Bay skaters in scoring with 16 points each through the team's first 15 games. LaPorte has tallied nine goals and seven assists so far while Novak has registered six goals and 10 assists.
- Green Bay has scored the third most power play goals of any USHL team (15) and boasts the league's fourth best power play percentage at 22.4%. Meanwhile, the Gamblers have surrendered the fewest power play goals-against (five) and feature the league's top rated penalty kill (91.1%).
United States Hockey League Stories from November 22, 2011
- Tri-City Storm News & Notes - Week Nine - Tri-City Storm
- Ordering up Some Offense - Waterloo Black Hawks
- USHL Update - Week Eight - USHL
- Phantoms Flying High Through First Quarter of the Season, O'Connor Named Goaltender of the Week - Youngstown Phantoms
- Omaha Lancers News & Notes - Week Nine - Omaha Lancers
- Holiday Inn Dubuque Offers Free Shuttle Wednesday - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Ice Acquire Forward Cole from Lincoln - Indiana Ice
- Fighting Saints Make Roster Moves Before Busy Week of Games - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Musketeers Head East for the Holiday - Sioux City Musketeers
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