USHL Tri-City Storm

Schwartz Scores Hat-Trick In Shootout Win

Published on March 7, 2010 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


KEARNEY, Neb. - Jaden Schwartz scored the first home hat-trick in five years for the Tri-City Storm (25-20-6, 56 pts), as the Storm beat the Youngstown Phantoms (16-32-3, 35 pts) in a shootout on Saturday night, 5-4. Schwartz also set a team record with two short-handed goals in the same game and period.

Schwartz scored the opening goal with 4:54 left in the first period, as Brett Mohler and Mario Puskarich picked up the assists on the first of three goals from Schwartz.

In the second period, Schwartz scored on a breakaway short-handed at the 5:30 mark into the period to give the Storm a 2-0 lead. Mohler picked up his fourth short-handed point this season with the lone assist.

However, Youngstown's Andrej Sustr scored on the power play 34-seconds after Schwartz's first short-handed goal.

History was made when Schwartz scored his second short-handed goal in the second period on another breakaway at the 12:05 mark in the period. The goal was unassisted and the fans celebrated Schwartz's 30th goal of the season with hats raining on the ice.

The last hat-trick scored by a Storm player was on March 8, 2005, as J.P. Platisha scored three goals against Waterloo.

The Phantoms' Stuart Higgins would get credited with a short-handed goal for Youngstown at the 17:58 mark in the second period, as Tri-City defenseman Tyler Amburgey accidently knocked the puck back into his own net after Storm goalie Carsen Chubak made the initial save on Higgins' breakaway attempt.

The Storm scored again 5:19 into the third period, as Radoslav Illo was setup by Tucker Brockett and Kenny Brooks for his 19th goal of the season.

The Phantoms scored two goals late in the third period to tie the game and force it into extra-time. Andrew Lamont scored with 3:10 left in regulation to draw the Phantoms to within one goal and got a goal from Brett Gensler with 9-seconds left in the game to tie the game at 4-4.

Neither team scored in overtime, but the Storm scored three goals in the shootout to Youngstown's one goal to prevail in the shootout with a victory over the Phantoms. Schwartz was credited with the game-winning shootout goal.

Schwartz registered eight shots on goal in the game and broke the Storm record for shots in a single-season (199), which was held by Bill Thomas. He now has 207 shots on goal this season with nine games remaining in the regular-season.

Chubak (18-14-6) made 29 saves on 33 shots and stopped three of the four shooters in the shootout win for the Storm. Matthew Mahalak (8-16-3) made 35 saves on 39 shots in the shootout loss.

Tri-City on the power play was 0-for-6, while Youngstown was 1-for-7 with the man-advantage.

The Storm's "Magic Number" to clinch a playoff spot has been reduced to 13 standing points with the win over the Phantoms.

Tri-City will travel to Chicago next weekend to play the Steel in a back-to-back series.

Notes: Storm swept the season series against the Phantoms 4-0... It was Schwartz's 23rd multi-point game this season for the Storm...Schwartz now leads the USHL in scoring by six points over Omaha's Matt White... the Storm's magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 13 points (which is standing points earned by the Storm or potential standing points lost by Sioux City), as Sioux City beat Lincoln on Saturday night to keep the magic number from falling two more points

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2010


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