Stars Edge Storm 4-3 in Shootout on Saturday Night
USHL Tri-City Storm

Stars Edge Storm 4-3 in Shootout on Saturday Night

Published on January 10, 2026 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


KEARNEY, Neb. - The Lincoln Stars used a Kade Kohanski fifth-round shootout goal to grab two points in the USHL Western Conference standings and a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Storm on Saturday night at Viaero Center.

Lincoln (18-15-1, 37 pts) improves to 16-7-1 against Western Conference teams this season. Tri-City (15-17-4, 35 pts) earned five of a possible six standings points across the three-in-three with the Stars.

With Lincoln up 3-2 in the final minutes of regulation, Tri-City found the back of the net to even the game at 3-3. Paul Bloomer fed to the left point and Luka Rohloff, who sent a shot toward the Stars' cage. Ashton Dahms ricocheted the puck on its way in, deflecting it past Stars netminder Will Prowse with just under 3:30 to go.

The game stayed tied for the remainder of regulation and headed to overtime. Despite numerous quality chances on each side, neither team found the back of the net in the extra frame, moving the contest to a shootout.

Each team scored twice in the shootout's first three rounds. After a scoreless fourth round, Kohanski snuck a shot past Storm netminder Michal Pradel in the Stars' fifth round. The Storm could not capitalize in their half of the fifth round, handing Lincoln the victory.

The remainder or regulation was closely contested, fast-paced, and physical.

The Storm opened the scoring just 44 seconds into regulation. Following a Tri-City dump to the Stars zone, Prowse skated behind his cage to play the puck. Stars defenseman Nik Young collided with Prowse, handing the puck to Tri-City's Brecken Smith below the goal line. Smith fed in front of the Stars net, where Mason Jenson eventually gathered the puck and flung it into the vacant cage for his ninth goal of the campaign.

Lincoln answered just over ten minutes later. As a rush involving multiple players on each team fizzled out near the Storm net, Will Kortan retrieved a vacated puck near the left circle of the Tri-City zone. The Lakeville, Minnesota native rapidly fired a shot to the top left corner of the Storm cage past Tri-City netminder Michal Pradel for his third goal of the season.

Tri-City jumped back in front just 40 seconds into the middle frame. After maintaining possession in the right corner of the Lincoln zone, Smith fed Carson Pilgrim at the bottom of the right circle. Pilgrim strode toward the Stars net, then got the puck to an open Oliver Ozogany on the back door. Ozogany finished a shot beyond Prowse for his sixth tally of the year.

Lincoln evened the game at 2-2 on an offensive rush just before the halfway mark of the second. Alex Pelletier motored with the puck down the middle of the Storm zone, then fed Layne Loomer near the right faceoff dot. Loomer caught the pass, then quickly released a shot past the blocker side of Pradel for his 13th goal of the season.

The Pelletier-Loomer duo connected again to give Lincoln its first lead at the 17:54 mark of the second. Off a feed from Drew DellaSalla, Loomer gathered the puck at the bottom of the left circle in the Tri-City zone. The Lethbridge, Alberta native fed to an open Pelletier in the right circle, who one-timed the puck beyond Pradel for his league-leading 30th marker of the campaign.

Prowse stopped 30 of 33 Storm shots in what became his 15th win of the season. Pradel, who made a season-high 43 saves in the outing, suffered his second shootout loss of the campaign.

Three players finished with multiple points. Smith (0-2-2) put up his fourth multi-point game in nine appearances. Lincoln's Pelletier (1-1-2) and Loomer (1-1-2) also found the scoresheet multiple times.

Up next: Tri-City next takes the ice on Saturday, January 17 at Omaha. Puckdrop is set for 6:05 pm CT. The game will be broadcast on FloHockey and Storm Radio.

Check out the Tri-City Storm Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2026


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