USHL Lincoln Stars

Preview - Stars vs. Black Hawks

November 17, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release


FRIDAY, NOV. 17, 2018 | 7:05 P.M. | YOUNG ARENA

RADIO: LINCOLN STARS RADIO | WATCH: HOCKEYTV

Tonight's Contest:

The Stars (5-6-3-1) travel to Young Arena to take on the Black Hawks (9-3-3-1) for the first time since Waterloo eliminated Lincoln from the playoffs last season.

Last Game:

The Stars played the Sioux Falls Stampede in a grudge match of last Friday's game in which Lincoln won with 22 seconds to go. This time it was the Stampede who pulled off late-game heroics. Down a goal late, Jami Krannila scored with 2:37 left to draw even with Lincoln and force overtime. Krannila would tie up a puck in front of Stars starter Jake Mucitelli to allow space for Cade Borchardt to score the game-winner. Dominant in the loss for Lincoln was Josiah Slavin, who tallied two goals and an assist on the evening.

Waterloo hosted Tri-City last night in a defensive-minded affair. The Black Hawks were frustrated by the stellar goaltending of Isaiah Saville. The goalie stopped 33 of 34 shots to anchor the Storm's cause. After a scoreless first, Ronnie Attard notched the game's first goal at 8:59 into the second. Waterloo's Patrick Guzzo responded with his first of the year to tie the game nearly 10 minutes later. In the third Saville stood down 12 shots from the Black Hawks, allowing Connor McMenamin's goal at 9:57 to stand as the game-winner.

Head-to-Head:

The Stars and Black Hawks fought to a 2-2 draw in their regular season series last year. Waterloo won games one and two by scores of 4-3 and 6-2. Lincoln stormed back to take the third and fourth contests 8-5 and 3-2 in overtime. The pair would meet again in the playoffs, with Lincoln winning game one in another overtime thriller. The Black Hawks would win game two in a 3-0 shutout, and then repay the overtime favor in game three. They took the series in game four with a 3-2 win at the Ice Box.

By the Numbers:

GF: WAT-3.88 (t-4th) to LIN-2.80 (14th)

GA: WAT-3.06 (5th) to LIN-3.33 (t-7th)

PP: WAT-19 for 61, 31.1% (1st) to LIN-9 for 60, 15.0% (15th)

PK: LIN-54 for 61, 88.5% (1st) to WAT-44 for 57, 77.2 (12th)

What to Watch For:

Streak Breakers or Road Woes?:

Entering play, the Stars and Black Hawks are both coming off Friday night defeats. On the season, Waterloo is undefeated after a loss. Lincoln comes in on a three-game losing streak on the road.

Strength vs Strength:

The Stars enter tonight's contest with the top penalty kill in the league, killing off 88.5% of their opposition's power play chances. The Black Hawks are the best team in the USHL at converting man-advantage chances, cruising at a rate of 31.1%. Lincoln is coming off an evening in which they cancelled all six of their trips to the box. Against Tri-City Friday, Waterloo went 0-for-6 on the power play.

Top Line Rolling:

The Stars top-line continues to carry the offense of late, with Josiah Slavin, Shane Pinto, and Caleb Rule combining for seven goals and 14 points over the last three games. Slavin has led the way with 3-3-6 on his current three-game point streak. Last season, Slaving recorded three goals and two assists in eight games against the Black Hawks.

The Stars and Black Hawks will drop the puck at 7:05 pm CST tonight in Waterloo. Tune in on hockeytv.com or listen along on Stars Radio. Lincoln will return home Wednesday, November 21st to play Tri-City the day before Thanksgiving. To purchase tickets, call the Stars Box Office at (402)-474 7827, or order tickets online! Enjoy all you can eat hockey at single games by purchasing a group of five or more, or grab one of our multi-game memberships to secure the same seat each game. Parking is completely FREE this season!

Check out the Lincoln Stars Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from November 17, 2018


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