Preview-Stars at Musketeers
November 10, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
Tonight's Contest:
Following the end to a 5-game home stand, the Stars (4-5-2-1) will hit the road to Iowa where they'll look to keep their newfound momentum rolling against the Sioux City Musketeers (9-4-1-0).
Last Game:
Lincoln took on the Sioux Falls Stampede last night in a hard-fought defensive affair. Jacob Mucitelli and Jaxson Stauber made goals hard to come by with healthy efforts from both teams in their own zone. The first tally came for Sioux Falls just past halfway through the first period. Matt Cameron found Samuel Stevens on a perfect pass from the corner which Stevens fired past Mucitelli for the 1-0 lead. The score would be the Stampede's only of the contest.
In the second, Tristan Ashbrook announced his return to the active roster when he fired a perfect 2-on-1 feed from Phil Lapointe past Stauber to even the game at two.
The third period witnessed an uptick in Stars offensive pressure, kindled by Ashbrook's goal in the second half of the second frame. Stauber and his teammates held Lincoln at bay until the final minute of play. Bolstered by a late power play, Logan Britt found Lapointe on the breakout, who fed Declan Carlile over the left wing of the Stampede blue line. Carlile drove a blast over Stauber's shoulder for the go-ahead goal with 22 seconds left in regulation.
Jacob Mucitelli stood down the last push from Sioux Falls with a big save to secure the win at the horn.
In a showdown with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Sioux City defended their home ice with an explosive first 40 minutes. Kevin Lombardi began the scoring at 9:39 when he bested Blake Pietila for his third tally of the season. Matthew Miller tacked on his 7th just under five minutes later to send the Musketeers to the dressing room with a 2-0 lead.
In the second period, Kyle Looft put the RoughRiders on the board with his first of the year at 6:24. Sioux City responded with three consecutive goals in a span of 5:26. Jordan Steinmetz scored the game's second unassisted goal at 7:00. Martin Pospisil continued his torrid season as the USHL's points leader when he scored his eighth goal at 8:17. Viljami Nieminen recorded his first goal at 12:26 to build a 5-1 lead after two minutes of play.
With the luxury of a four-goal lead, the Musketeers were able to play conservatively in the third. Off goals from Ethan Wolthers and Jack O'Leary, the RoughRiders mustered a valiant comeback effort, notching two goals in the first 10:16 to pull themselves back within shouting distance of the lead. From there, Sioux City put the clamps on for the final half of the third to secure a definitive 5-3 victory. They've now recorded a point or better in their last five contests.
Head-to-Head:
Lincoln took three of four meetings in last season's series against Sioux City. The tilt had a little bit of everything. Game one was a see-saw seeing the Stars score four in the first, the Musketeers answer with three straight power play goals in the second, only to see Lincoln put the game away with two goals in the third.
Game two was a defensive gem, ending with a total of just three goals. The Musketeers earned the victory, scoring the game-winner off of Cole Koepke's goal with two seconds left in the game.
The Stars responded with a 3-2 shootout victory in meeting number three. Paul Cotter notched the shootout's lone tally while Derek Schaedig slammed the door by blanking all three of Sioux City's shooters.
Game four was all Lincoln, as Cole Koepke's first-period goal for the Musketeers was answered by seven-straight tallies by the Stars. Josiah Slavin and Tristan Ashbrook recorded season-high's in points with 0-4-4 and 1-2-3 performances, respectively.
Lincoln's dominance on special teams over the four games proved to be a major difference-maker as the Stars converted six of 19 power play opportunities (31.6%) while killing off 25 of 28 opportunities against (89.3%) while also adding one shorthanded goal.
By the Numbers:
GF: SC-3.86 (4th) to LIN-2.83 (15th)
GA: SC-3.07 (4th) to LIN-3.50 (t-9th)
PP: SC-13 for 50, 26.0% (3rd) to LIN-9 for 51, 17.6% (12th)
PK: LIN-42 for 48, 87.5% (1st) to SC-41 for 52, 78.8 (9th)
What to Watch For:
Veteran Presence:
Of the healthy veteran returners in the forward ranks for Lincoln, Josiah Slavin, Devlin McCabe, Phil Lapointe, and Tristan Ashbrook combined for four goals and 13 assists in the head-to-head against Sioux City last season. Though each team has had significant roster turnover, the Stars veterans have been rolling of late. Ashbrook scored a goal in his first game of the season last night. Slavin is one game removed from a four-point performance, McCabe has three points in his last two games, and Phil Lapointe is coming off a night in which he supplied the primary assist on both of Lincoln's goals against Sioux Falls.
Battle of the Streaks:
Both teams carry point streaks into tonight's game. Sioux City is 4-0-1-0 in their last five games. They've averaged 4.25 goals a game against 3.00 allowed. They've out shot their opposition 138-129 (27.6 to 25.8 per game). What grabs the attention of any observer is their mirror splits on special teams. The Musketeers have taken 16 trips on both the power play and the penalty kill, scoring six on the man-advantage and allowing six whilst shorthanded. The percentages line up to a stellar 37.5% on the power play and struggling 62.5% on the kill.
In the meantime, the Stars have been outscored 8-7 in their three game point streak, reflected by their 1-0-1-1 record in that span. They've taken a big step forward on the power play, scoring three times on their last 13 tries (23.1%) but their penalty kill, ranked 1st in the USHL, has taken a minor stumble, allowing three goals in 12 trips (75.0%).
Hernandez's Return:
A Musketeer last season, Randy Hernandez will skate in his first game against his former team tonight. The forward scored three goals and 10 assists for Sioux City last season. The Stars picked up Hernandez from Muskegon in the preseason. He's recorded two assists thus far this season, and has been a tough-to-play-against presence with the speed he brings to the Stars lineup.
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