Stampede Sweep Away Stars
March 22, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux Falls Stampede News Release
Lincoln, N.E. - The Sioux Falls Stampede defeated the Lincoln Stars 6-4 to complete the sweep and gain key points in the Western Conference standings. Brent Solomon continued his hot streak with a two-goal performance, while Reid Varkonyi and Alexei Vlasov scored power-play goals. Waylon Esche delivered a brilliant performance between the pipes, making 35 saves.
The first period saw plenty of action between the top two teams in the Western Conference. The first five minutes of the game moved much slower than last night, but it was Brent Solomon who got the Stampede on the board again. Matthew Grimes brought the puck into the zone and passed it to Solomon, who wristed one from the point. Nearly a minute later, at 7:10, JJ Monteiro earned his tenth goal of the season after faking out the Stars' goaltender, William Prowse. Austin Baker won a board battle, giving Monteiro a clear path to the net, where he faked a forehand shot and snuck a backhanded shot around Prowse.
A few minutes after the goal, tensions between the two teams peaked. Stampede defenseman Bryce Ingles was hooked by the Stars' Griffin Brown. In retaliation, Ingles tripped Brown, who took exception to the trip. The two players dropped gloves and fought, each earning 17 minutes of penalties. A couple of minutes later, Noah Urness was sent into the boards, and defenseman Filip Nordberg took exception, fighting Michael Sandruck. While that scrum was happening, Joe McGraw and Caeden Herrington also fought. A total of 76 penalty minutes were handed out on the play, which ended in a Stampede power play. After a season of ups and downs, the Herd capitalized on the power play with a shot from Reid Varkonyi from the right faceoff dot. Varkonyi's fifteenth goal of the year was assisted by Noah Urness. At 18:04, Sioux Falls went to their first penalty kill after Ritter Coombs was called for cross-checking after a tie-up on the boards. Lincoln's power play was cut short when Bruno Idzan high-sticked Sam Spehar. Neither team could score during the 4-on-4, and the Stampede carried 3:13 of their power play into the second period.
Though Sioux Falls started the second period on the power play, their double minor was cut short when Erik Kald was called for interference. At 2:26, the Stampede headed to a 4-on-3 penalty kill following a slashing call on the Stars. Neither team took advantage of the penalties, and the Stampede maintained their 3-0 lead until 12:49. Caeden Herrington got the Stars on the board and followed it up with another goal just three minutes and seven seconds later. The late goal put the Lincoln Stars within one heading into the final period. The Stars outshot the Stampede 17-8 in the first period.
The final frame brought the intensity expected between these two teams. At 6:34 into the third period, Brent Solomon netted his third goal in as many games to give the Stampede a cushion. JJ Monteiro passed the puck up ice to Solomon, who sniped it from the right faceoff dot. Joe Belisle was also credited with an assist on the goal. Less than a minute later, the Stars eliminated the cushion with a goal from Daniel Shlaine. Nearly two minutes after the goal, Joe McGraw was called for a high-sticking double minor, sending his team to a four-minute penalty kill. As expected, the Stars took advantage 1:40 into the power play, with Shlaine netting his second goal of the game to tie it. Lincoln had two more minutes remaining on the power play, but the Stampede managed to kill it off. At 12:50, Etienne Lessard was called for roughing after taking down JJ Monteiro. With 30 seconds remaining in the power play, Alexei Vlasov earned his eleventh goal of the season to regain the lead for the Stampede with a sniper from the slot. At 18:20, Yan Shoshak made his way to the bench in an attempt to tie the game. Just 12 seconds after the net was left empty, Noah Urness sent the puck the length of the ice to clinch the 6-4 win for the Sioux Falls Stampede. The Lincoln Stars outshot the Sioux Falls Stampede 39-28.
Not only did the Stampede earn the weekend sweep over the Lincoln Stars, but their two wins also secured a split in the season series. The Stampede now sit five points behind the Stars for first place in the Western Conference with two games in hand.
Goaltender Waylon Esche had a stellar performance between the pipes with 35 saves. He now holds a 7-2-0-1 record and a .887 save percentage.
The Stampede will host their I-19 rival, the Fargo Force, tomorrow for a 4:05 PM game. The first 500 fans at the penultimate regular-season home game will receive the next set of Stampede trading cards and a commemorative Clark Cup Playoff poster, thanks to Midwestern Mechanical. Following the game, the full Stampede roster will be signing autographs in the Veterans' Concourse off the main PREMIER Center concourse.
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