Stars Embark on Three-Game Road Trip in Iowa
January 30, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
The Lincoln Stars open up a three-game road trip in as many days against three different opponents this weekend. The road swing begins with a 7:05 game tonight at Cedar Rapids, continues in Dubuque at 7:05 tomorrow and concludes Sunday afternoon at 3 in Sioux City.
Lincoln (25-11-1-0) leads Sioux Falls by one point for first place in the Western Conference. It is Lincoln's first time in first place since early December prior to a four-game losing streak to open the month. The Stars are one point ahead of Sioux Falls, who lost at Dubuque, 3-2, last Friday and defeated Cedar Rapids, 3-2, in a shootout the next night. The top two seeds in each conference earn a first round bye and avoid having to play two days after the end of the regular season.
The Stars stretched their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 win at Des Moines last Friday and a 9-3 win vs. Omaha the next night. Lincoln has outscored opponents, 46-14, over this winning streak and has scored at least five goals each game. The Stars are a win away from matching their season-best seven-game winning streak Sep. 27 - Oct. 19.
The RoughRiders are 11 points ahead of NTDP for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They opened up last weekend with a 5-3 win at Chicago before falling by back-to-back 3-2 scores against Sioux Falls and Des Moines at home. Cedar Rapids is in the midst of a stretch of nine-of-10 games at home and is 4-3-0-1 so far, including 3-3-0-1 at home. They defeated Lincoln, 3-1, Sep. 21 at the Fall Classic and have scored five-or-more goals six times.
The Fighting Saints hold the top record in the USHL. They split last weekend's games, falling at Green Bay, 4-2, before defeating Sioux Falls, 3-2, at home. Dubuque has earned points in nine of its last 10 games and is 8-1-0-1 in that span. They defeated the Stars, 4-1, Nov. 1 at the Ice Box in the only head-to-head matchup already this season. Matthew Desiderio leads all USHL defensemen with 12 goals, is second with five power-play goals and is second with 30 points.
The Musketeers enter this weekend in third place in the Western Conference and five points back of the Stars for first. They have won four straight games after sweeping Fargo on the road two weeks ago and defeating Omaha, 7-3, and Des Moines, 4-1, last weekend. Sioux City has a home-and-home with Sioux Falls before hosting Lincoln this weekend. They have won two-of-three games against the Stars this season, most recently winning, 5-2, Dec. 12 at the Ice Box.
Two keys for the Stars this weekend will be to continue its habit for scoring first and on the power play. Not only have the Stars scored first in every game of this six-game winning streak but also in each of their eight games in January. Lincoln previously failed to score first in four of its five games prior to the holiday break and went 1-4 in that span. The Stars' 22 games scoring first are second-most in the USHL and they are 19-2-1 in those games. Lincoln has scored on the power play in four straight games and is now 8-for-15 in that span on the man advantage. The Stars have the second-best power play in the USHL at 29.4-percent and have scored multiple times on the man advantage in eight games.
Fans are encouraged to come to Big 10 Sports Bar & Grill to watch Sunday's 3 p.m. Stop by 130 N 10th Street in downtown Lincoln to watch the game with live audio playing in the restaurant. Get entered to win tickets, merch and more when you purchase a beer. Purchase any ?Empyrean Brewing Co? beer and get five tickets entered into the raffle.
Lincoln returns home Feb. 7 to host the Omaha Lancers at 7:05 p.m. at the Ice Box. It will be the Stars' first home game since Jan. 25, when 3,856 fans saw Lincoln's 9-3 win over Omaha. It was the Stars' largest crowd since 4,008 fans came to the Ice Box. Busch Light tall boys are buy one, get one and Michelob Ultra draw pours are $3. Tickets are available at lincolnstars.com
• Discuss this story on the United States Hockey League message board...
United States Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2025
- Hawks' Outburst Sinks Sioux Falls - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Herd Struggle in Home Return - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Stars Embark on Three-Game Road Trip in Iowa - Lincoln Stars
- Weekend Preview Features Back-To-Back Matchups vs Waterloo - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Musketeers Make Blockbuster Swap - Sioux City Musketeers
- Hawks Make Sizable Acquisition - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Jacks Head to Green Bay for 3 Game Series - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Maltais Commits to Northeastern - Lincoln Stars
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
