Stars Battle Hard But Fall in Shootout to Storm
Published on October 28, 2018 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
LINCOLN, NE - Saturday, the Stars looked for a bounce back, following their loss to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders to open the weekend. For the second consecutive night, Lincoln was fast out of the gate, seeing their offense jump on top of the Storm immediately following opening puck drop. After forcing Isaiah Saville to make a few quick saves off the first few shifts, Josh Lopina found Matthew Barbolini behind the defense for a short-ice breakaway. Barbolini barreled his way to the net where he beat Saville for his first goal with Lincoln and the 1-0 Stars lead at 3:18.
Immediately following the goal, the Stars speed drew a Storm penalty, but Lincoln was held at bay. Tri-City continued to gain their footing following their successful kill, slowly beginning to push back. They drew a power play of their own at 16:27 and went to work on the man advantage. After keeping the offensive zone for 48 seconds, Colton Kalezic won a battle for a quick rebound at the netfront and beat Tyler Johnson and his defense to knot the game at one.
In the second, both sides traded unsuccessful power plays and near misses up and down the ice. Tyler Johnson and the Stars defense weathered an early push from the Storm in the period's opening ten minutes, before beginning a push back the other way in the latter half of the frame. Toward the end of the period, Johnson dazzled by making a highlight reel glove save after a rebound found its way to Joe Molenaar alone in front. Saville answered with a stick break up off a tic-tac-toe Stars passing set-up to keep the game square heading into the third.
Stops and starts via icing and pucks out of play kept both teams from settling into much of a rhythm for most of the third. A late push from the Stars was stoned by Saville, which rallied the Storm to pressure back heavily in the Stars end. Tyler Johnson went punch for punch with the Tri-City attack, while the Stars defense held firm. At the conclusion of 60 minutes, the game was still tied at one.
In overtime, both sides traded quality looks on goal before Lincoln was penalized late with less than a minute to play. They fought off a largely conservative Storm forecheck to push the game to a shootout.
Just as they did the night before, the Storm won the game with a tandem of Colby Ambrosio and Zac Jones scoring two tallies to Lincoln's 0, securing a second point for Tri-City in the win.
The Stars saw a gritty effort from Tyler Johnson in net, as the Amherst-born goalie stopped 32 of 33 in the effort. Saville answered with 25 saves on 26 Lincoln offerings. The Stars will next play at home on Friday, November 2nd when they take on the Omaha Lancers at the Ice Box at 7:05 pm.
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United States Hockey League Stories from October 28, 2018
- Dubuque Drops Final Game of the Weekend, 8-3 - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Sioux City Wins OT Thriller on Cross Check Cancer Night - Sioux City Musketeers
- Stars Battle Hard But Fall in Shootout to Storm - Lincoln Stars
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