USHL Omaha Lancers

Omaha Lancers News & Notes

Published on December 5, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release


Omaha, Neb. - A week after facing the top two teams in the Western Conference, the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) look to continue their climb up the Western Conference standings with the team's only three-game week during the month of December.

Omaha (11-8-2, 24 pts.) is coming off a solid weekend which saw the team claim a pair of victories against two of the top teams in the Western Conference. In their first game under newly appointed interim head coach Mike Aikens, the Lancers overwhelmed Conference-leading Lincoln 7-2 Friday evening at the Lincoln IceBox. Greg Gozzo scored four goals while Casey Bailey and Matt Gaudreau each chipped in three points as Omaha picked up its 10th win of the season. The Lancers then claimed back-to-back road wins for the first time this season on Saturday with a 5-2 victory at the Waterloo Black Hawks. Jonathan Liau scored twice while Gaudreau added a pair of assists as the Lancers moved into sole possession of second place in the West.

The Lancers return to action tomorrow as Omaha welcomes the Tri-City Storm to the Omaha Civic Auditorium for the first time this season. Tri-City (6-14-0, 12 pts.) dropped both games of its weekend road series in Fargo last weekend. After suffering a 7-5 setback to the Force on Friday, the Storm were on the short end of a 3-2 decision on Saturday. Tri-City has split its last six games overall but has now won just two of its last nine road games. After facing off in Omaha on Tuesday, the Storm return home this weekend for a weekend series with the Des Moines Buccaneers.

Meanwhile, following Tuesday's showdown, the Lancers hit the road this weekend for a swing through the state of Michigan and showdowns with the U.S. National Team Development Program and Muskegon Lumberjacks. Omaha's weekend action begins Friday with the team's one and only regular season clash against the Under-17 squad of the USNTDP. Team USA (6-8-2, 14 pts.) is comprised of the Under-17 and Under-18 teams with the U17 team holding a 4-5-2 record overall against USHL competition. The Under-17 squad was in action three times this past weekend and claimed five of a possible six standings points following a 4-3 win in Waterloo Friday, a 3-2 overtime defeat in Des Moines on Saturday and a 2-1 victory over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Sunday.

Omaha's busy week then concludes Saturday with the team's one and only regular season meeting with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Muskegon (8-10-0, 16 pts.) split a pair of games at home with the Youngstown Phantoms last weekend. After a 5-0 shutout of the Phantoms on Friday, the Lumberjacks fell 24 hours later to visiting Youngstown by the final score of 4-2. Saturday's showdown is Muskegon's only game of the week.

Omaha Notes:

Omaha Lancers - 11-8-2, 24 pts. (2nd Western Conference)

- F Jimmy Murray continues to lead all Lancers in scoring and is 15th among all USHL skaters in scoring with 19 points (four goals, 15 assists). Murray enters the week second in the league with 15 assists and has now tallied at least one point in 13 of his last 19 games played.

- F Casey Bailey leads all Lancers and is ninth among all USHL skaters with 11 goals this season. Bailey enters the week second among all Lancers and tied for 16th in the league with 18 points (11 goals, seven assists).

- D Kevin Schulze leads all Omaha defensemen and is currently tied for fourth among all USHL blueliners with 12 points (12 assists) this season. Schulze has registered six points (six assists) in 13 games since coming to Omaha by way of the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

- F Greg Gozzo became the first USHL player this season to record four goals in a single game last Friday when he scored four times in a 7-2 victory at the Lincoln Stars.

- F Matt Gaudreau recorded five points (goal, four assists) in two games last weekend and enters the week having tallied eight points over his last eight games.

Opponents Notes:

Tuesday, Dec. 6 vs. Tri-City Storm - 6-14-0, 12 pts. (8th Western Conference)

- Omaha claimed the only prior meeting this season between the Lancers and Storm with a 3-2 victory at the Viaero Event Center in Kearney, Nebraska back on November 4th. Michael Ferrantino, Jimmy Murray and Max Vallis all scored for the Lancers while Alex Lyon registered 41 saves on 43 Tri-City shots for the win.

- F Nick Lappin continues to lead all Tri-City skaters in scoring and is tied for 10th among all USHLers with 20 points (12 goals, eight assists). Lappin enters the week in the midst of a four-game scoring streak and has now registered at least one point in 13 of 16 games this season.

- F Trevor Moore enters the week in the midst of a five-game goal scoring streak and a six-game points streak overall. Committed to the University of Denver, Moore has registered 11 points (six goals, five assists) over his last nine games.

- G Adam Wilcox has started three games in goal for Tri-City since his trade from the Green Bay Gamblers back on November 21st. In three starts with the Storm, Wilcox is 1-2 with a 3.60 goals-against average (GAA) coupled with a .903 save percentage. Overall this season, Wilcox is 8-4 with a 2.61 GAA and .913 save %.

Opponents Notes:

Friday, Dec. 9 @ USNTDP - 6-8-2, 14 pts. (8th Eastern Conference)

- F Tyler Motte leads all USA skaters with 13 points (six goals, seven assists). Committed to the University of Michigan, Motte has recorded at least one point in eight of nine games this season.

- G Hunter Miska has registered all four U17 wins against USHL competition. Miska is 4-2 in six starts against USHL opponents with a 3.55 goals-against average coupled with a .863 save percentage.

- In 11 games against USHL competition, the Under-17 team has scored 41 goals (3.72) while surrendering 47 goals against (4.27).

Opponents Notes:

Saturday, Dec. 10 @ Muskegon Lumberjacks - 8-10-0, 16 pts. (6th Eastern Conference)

- F John Padulo leads all Muskegon skaters in scoring this season with 14 points (five goals, nine assists).

- G John Keeney has appeared in seven games with the Lumberjacks since being traded by the Lancers back on October 20th. Since joining Muskegon, Keeney has posted a 3-4 record overall to go along with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

- Muskegon is the highest penalized team in the USHL having accumulated 453 penalty minutes through the team's first 18 games (avg. 25.1 PIM/GP).

Check out the Omaha Lancers Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from December 5, 2011


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