USHL Lincoln Stars

Stars Looking for Revenge in Round Two with RoughRiders

Published on October 26, 2018 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release


FRIDAY, OCT. 26, 2018 | 7:05 P.M. | ICE BOX

RADIO: LINCOLN STARS RADIO | WATCH: HOCKEYTV

Tonight's Contest:

The Stars (3-4-1-0) will host the RoughRiders (4-2-1-0) with each team looking to earn a second-consecutive win.

Last Game:

Capping a stretch of four games in seven days, Lincoln took on the Madison Capitols at the Ice Box last Friday. Bothered by slow stars in recent outings, the Stars battled to a scoreless draw with Madison after the opening 20 minutes of play. In the second, a dominant stretch from Lincoln's offense resulted in Shane Pinto burying his fifth goal of the season past rookie Garrett Mackay to put the Stars up 1-0. Despite stellar play from Tyler Johnson in net, the lead failed to survive the period, after Matthew Gould ripped a perfect shot by Johnson on a 2-on-1. Entering the third period with the score even at one, the Stars broke loose in the midst of a five-minute penalty kill. Josiah Slavin drew a penalty shot on a shorthanded breakaway that he promptly buried for a lead the Stars would never surrender. Lincoln received insurance late from both Justin Lee, who ripped home the first marker of his Stars career, and Shane Pinto, who collected a Logan Britt rebound. A 4-1 victory snapped a three-game skid for the Stars and earned them their first win at the Ice Box in the 2018-19 regular season.

Following a tough pair of losses, Cedar Rapids bounced back nicely at home last Saturday, beating the Youngstown Phantoms 3-1. Like the Stars and Capitols, neither the RoughRiders nor the Phantoms scored in the first period. Jason Polin tallied the game's first marker just 35 seconds into the middle frame. Roman Kraemer answered two minutes later for Youngstown, tying the game at one. The score remained locked until the midway point of the third period. Aidan McDonough notched his first goal of the season to put Cedar Rapids ahead with nine and a half minutes remaining. Harrison Roy iced the contest with an empty net goal at 19:49 to secure the 3-1 RoughRiders win. Blake Pietila continued his stellar season with 26 saves on 27 shots to earn his fourth victory.

Head-to-Head:

Lincoln last faced Cedar Rapids in each teams' second game of the USHL Fall Classic. The Stars were unable to solve Blake Pietila and the savvy RoughRiders defense despite tilting the ice with a 15-6 shot advantage in the final period of play. Scoring in the win for Cedar Rapids came from Grant Silianoff, Jack O'Leary, and Dmitri Deryabin. Shane Pinto registered the lone Stars tally in defeat. Lincoln's special teams provided a silver lining, going 1-for-3 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the kill.

By the Numbers:

GF: LIN-3.13 to CR-2.86

GA: CR-2.57 to LIN-3.38

PP: LIN-6 for 32, (18.8%) to CR-3 for 31, (9.7%)

PK: LIN-30 for 32, (93.8%) to CR-20 for 24, (83.3%)

What to Watch For:

Familiar Foe:

Should Blake Pietila earn the nod in net for Cedar Rapids, it won't be against strangers. The Howell, Michigan native has been a teammate to many former and current Stars. In youth hockey, Pietila was shared a bench with current Stars Ben Badalamenti and Declan Carlile, along with alumni Paul Cotter, plus Christian and Cole Krygier. Lincoln will hope that familiarity will allow for better results, following Pietila's victory against the Stars earlier this season. On the season the netminder is tied for the third-most wins (4), fourth-highest save percentage (.933%), fifth-lowest GAA (1.99), and the 10th-most minutes (362) in the USHL.

See-Saw Special Teams Continue:

The penalty kill and the power play continue to move in opposite directions for the Stars. Entering tonight's game, the team is on an 0-15 drought on the man-advantage. Conversely, Lincoln has killed 15-straight penalties, possessing the league's best kill percentage at 93.8%. Cedar Rapids has struggled on the man-advantage, converting at under 10%, but they're one of the league's most disciplined teams, serving an average of 10 penalty minutes per contest.

Battle of the Blue Lines:

One of the greater contrasts between the teams taking the ice tonight is the production from their respective defensive corps. Though among the very best defensive groups in the league, the current members of the Cedar Rapids blue line have combined for just eight points on the young season. The Stars have seen their defensemen tally a total of seven goals and 14 assists through eight games.

Road Riders vs Home Cooking Stars:

The Stars won their first game at the Ice Box and second home contest of the year (including the Fall Classic win over Chicago) on Friday. At home, their offense averages over four goals a game. On the road that number drops to 2.00 per contest. So far Cedar Rapids has fared better away from their own barn. They've recorded at least one point in every game on the road, and average an impressive 1.25 GAA. At home, they're winning percentage dips to .500 and their defense allows 3.25 goals per outing.

Check out the Lincoln Stars Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from October 26, 2018


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