Sioux Falls Wins in Shootout 4-3 over Lancers
March 13, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
RALSTON, NE - Ryan Donato scored his first USHL goal and added an assist in his first game with the Omaha Lancers on Friday night but it was the Sioux Falls Stampede who erased a two goal deficit and prevailed in a shootout with a 4-3 win in front of 3,572 fans at Ralston Arena.
The special teams came through for the Lancers twice in the opening period. While on the power-play, Matt Meier took the puck behind the net and sent it over to Ryan Donato who was in his first game in Omaha. Donato let a shot go that was denied by goaltender Stefanos Lekkas. The rebound went out to the hash marks where Louie Rowe fired the puck over the right shoulder of Lekkas for a 1-0 lead at 13:08 of the first period. The goal was Rowe's 14th of the year assisted by Donato and Meier.
Omaha took a two-goal lead while short-handed. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson sat in the penalty box late in the opening period. Jimmy Schuldt intercepted the puck inside his defensive zone. At that time, Anthony Angello went to the neutral zone and took the Schuldt pass to go in on a breakaway. As he got hooked and a delayed penalty was on the way, Angello lifted the puck over the shoulder of Stefanos Lekkas for a 2-0 lead with 17.7 left in the first frame.
In the second period Sioux Falls got on the board with a rebound goal. Dillon Eichstadt let a shot go that was denied by Lancers goaltender Kris Oldham. The puck went to the right of the crease where Dakota Joshua stepped into a shot that beat Oldham to pull the Stampede within a single goal of tying the game. Joshua's goal was his 16th of the year and came at 11:28 of the 2nd period.
In the third period Donato electrified the crowd with his first USHL goal from the right wing circle. Steven Spinner took the puck to the left side of the offensive zone as Donato moved into the right circle. Spinner fired the puck across the slot and Donato one-timed it by a diving Stefanos Lekkas for a 3-1 lead just 45 seconds into the final period.
Sioux Falls buckled down and came storming back with two quick goals to tie the game. Just two minutes into the third period, Chris Peters scored from the left wing circle on the power-play to pull back within a single goal. Assists on the Peters' goal were credited to Mikey Eyssimont and Cooper Marody. Just 1:09 after Peters scored, Matt Nuttle let a shot go from the right wing circle that beat Oldham to tie the game 3-3 at 3:09 of the final frame. Dakota Joshua and Lawton Courtnall tallied assists on the tying goal by Nuttle.
After no scoring in overtime and a Kris Oldham breakaway save on Cooper Marody, the game was decided in a shootout. In the first round, Troy Loggins and Ryan Donato each scored. No goals were recorded in the second or third round. In the sudden death shootout round, Mikey Eyssimont beat Oldham to put the pressure on Josh French who missed and the Stampede collected the extra point with a 4-3 victory.
Kris Oldham faced 34 shots on the night and stopped 31 of them.
The Omaha Lancers are on the road tomorrow night for a big contest in Kearney, NE to take on the Tri-City Storm at 7:05PM! LIVE coverage of the game begins at 6:50PM CST with the Valpak Pregame Show on The Mighty 1290 KOIL, www.mighty1290koil.com, and www.fasthockey.com.
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