Preview - Stars vs Storm
December 28, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
SATURDAY, DEC. 28, 2018 | 7:05 P.M. | Viaero center
RADIO: LINCOLN STARS RADIO | WATCH: HOCKEYTV
Tonight's Contest:
The Stars (7-14-3-1) will meet the West-Leading Tri-City Storm (19-6-1-0) in Kearney as both teams resume play following the Christmas vacation.
Last Game:
The Stars fell victim in a 3-0 shutout to the streaking Des Moines Buccaneers back on December 15th. Scoring in the win for the Bucs were TJ Walsh, Luke Manning, and Mac Welsher (empty net). Strong in the win was Tyler Johnson in net for the Stars, making 31 saves on 33 shots. Roman Durny made 27 saves for Des Moines in the shut out victory.
The Storm's last game came in Fargo on December 16th. Blais Richartz scored the lone goal of the first 40 minutes, giving Tri-City a 1-0 lead heading into the third. Jake Barczewski was stellar in net, stopping an onslaught of shots to keep Fargo off the board. Colton Kalezic added a second Tri-City tally just 57 seconds into the third to add needed insurance to the Storm's cause. Ben Meyers would strike back for Fargo, snapping the shutout, but it would ultimately prove not enough, as the Storm held on for a 2-1 win. Barczewski made 38 saves on 39 shots to secure Tri-City's win.
Head-to-Head:
The Stars and Storm met in Kearney two weeks ago for their sixth showdown of the season. The Stars jumped out to a fast 2-1 lead, following Max Ellis' sixth and seventh goals of the season-his first and second with the Stars. Connor McMenamin recorded the lone tally of the period for the Storm to keep Tri-City well within striking distance after the first. After a rough start, Jake Barczewski settled down in net for the Storm, stopping 27 of 28 shots over the final 40 minutes of play. Backed by this support, the Storm rallied for the lead in the middle period, receiving scores from Joe Berg and Joseph Molenaar. Molenaar would strike a second time to open the third period, building a 4-2 Storm lead. McMenamin would add his second of the night, just past the halfway point of the stanza, leaving the Stars in a three-goal hole. Devlin McCabe would get one back for Lincoln in the final minute of play, but the Stars would look up at a 5-3 loss at the horn. With the win, Tri-City is now 5-1 against the Stars this season.
By the Numbers:
GF: TC-3.19 (11th) to LIN-2.68 (15th)
GA: TC-2.23 (1st) to LIN-3.68 (13th)
PP: TC-19 for 104, 18.3% (10) to LIN-14 for 99, 14.1 (16th)
PK: TC-90 for 106, 84.9% (2nd) to LIN-85 for 105, 81.0% (8th)
SHGF: TC-1 (t-14th) to LIN-1 (t-14th)
SHGA: TC-0 (1st) to LIN-4 (t-12th)
What to Watch For:
Reinforcements have arrived:
Returning to the lineup for Lincoln tonight are forwards Shane Pinto, Caleb Rule, and defenseman Hunter Carrick. The trio have combined for 22 of the team's 67 goals this season. Back for Tri-City is Head Coach/GM Anthony Noreen, defensemen Ronnie Attard and Zac Jones, and goalie Isaiah Saville. The quartet joined Pinto in winning Team USA a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge earlier this month.
Trade Winds in Kearney:
The Storm made headlines this week by trading Blais Richartz, affiliate Matt Basgall, and draft picks for Omaha Lancers forward Brendan Furry. With his arrival, and Jake Crespi's departure due to injury, Furry becomes the Storm's leading scorer with 8 goals and 10 assists over 16 games. A veteran of 79 USHL games, Furry has had a fair amount of success against Lincoln this season. In three contests, Furry has tallied two goals and an assist against the Stars.
Also joining the Storm is former University of Denver forward Brendan Budy. A '00 from Langley, British Columbia, Budy scored 39 goals and 69 assists in 117 games over the past two seasons in the BCHL.
Steadying the Defense:
The Tri-City defense has consistently maintained its place as the top defense in the USHL this season, posting a team GAA of 2.23 and allowing just 27.31 shots against. The Stars will need to challenge these numbers in their effort to win, but they must also hunker down heading back into their own end. Lincoln has allowed three or more goals in four straight contests. While the offense regains some of its more potent weapons, look for stability to be added on defense as well.
United States Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2018
- Central Illinois Outmuscles Chicago, 6 to 3 - Central Illinois Flying Aces
- Storm Down Stars 3-1 in Opening Game of Weekend - Tri-City Storm
- Central Illinois Pushes Past Steel, 6-3 - Chicago Steel
- Lumberjacks Back from Break, Back in Win Column - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Stars Fall to Storm in Defensive Affair - Lincoln Stars
- Storm Add Forward Brendan Budy to Roster - Tri-City Storm
- Preview - Stars vs Storm - Lincoln Stars
- Gameday Preview: Storm Host Lincoln in Rivalry Matchup - Tri-City Storm
- Fargo Force Game Rescheduled for Thursday, January 10 - Fargo Force
- Tonight's Game Postponed - Fargo Force
- Bring Your Mittens - Green Bay Gamblers
- Maccelli's Overtime Winner Gives Dubuque 3-2 Win - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Stampede Prevail in the Third - Waterloo Black Hawks
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