Stars Rally But Fall Short in Overtime
October 6, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
LINCOLN, NE - The Stars took a roller coaster ride with the Omaha Lancers in Lincoln's home opener Friday night. In a game that saw 118 penalty minutes and 11 goals between sides, it was Lancers forward Michael Colella who potted the game-winning goal 20 seconds into overtime.
The first period saw a bout of scores started by Jan Kern, who settled a bouncing puck to beat Wouter Peeters for the 1-0 Omaha lead, 5:11 in.
Zach Dubinsky responded on the very next shift for the Stars, surprising his former teammate and Lancers starter, Lance Leonard, tying the game at one.
After a trade of trips to the penalty box, Lincoln was the first team to cash in on the man advantage. At 14:22, Steve Agrogianis collected a Logan Britt rebound to best Leonard, and build a 2-1 Stars lead they'd take into intermission.
The action picked up in the second with Agrogianis scoring again, set up by Sammy Niinisaari just shy of the 7:00 mark of the period. Up two and seemingly in control, the Stars saw the tables turned when Brian Silver led a breakaway down the ice and beat Peeters to pull Omaha back within one.
Tyler Carpenter followed Silver's score by making Lincoln pay for a penalty at 9:49. Crisp passing from Cam Ginnetti and Mathieu De St Phalle not only set up Carpenter's game-tying goal, but gave the Lancers their first power play tally of the season. A third-straight Omaha score was registered by Jerry Harding and assisted by Kern less than 30 seconds later, giving the Lancers back the lead.
The Stars would rally back with Ben Badalamenti's first goal in a Stars jersey off a slick set up from Philippe Lapointe, capped off by a beautiful move from Badalamenti in front of Leonard to tie the game at four.
The Lancers re-took the lead less than two minutes later, when Logan Will scored off a set up from Ben Perkins.
To protect their one-goal lead entering the third, the Lancers made a swap in net, bringing in Vinnie Purpura to replace Lance Leonard. Omaha was thwarted after taking two penalties in the first 3:07 of the frame. During 5-on-3 play, Declan Carlile buried a beauty from the blue line to even the score once more off his first goal of the season.
The gridlock lingered for the remainder of regulation, with both sides slugging it out both literally and figuratively to force overtime.
Following a brief exchange of zones and a pair of canceling penalties in the extra time, it was Michael Colella working free on the right circle, bearing in on Peeters. On his off wing, he uncorked a loser to the top shelf to win the game for the Lancers.
The Stars salvaged a point in the loss, and further boosted their power play percentage after going 2-for-6 on the evening. They'll look to take that positive momentum into a road trip to Des Moines tomorrow night to take on the Buccaneers at 7:05 pm CDT. Tune in on Stars Radio or watch on hockeytv.com!
United States Hockey League Stories from October 6, 2018
- Stampede Rally to Win in Fargo - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Blumel Has Rosy Night - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Lancers Drop Home Opener to Storm, 5-1 - Omaha Lancers
- Phantoms Falter in Rematch with Muskegon - Youngstown Phantoms
- Preview: Storm Travel to Face Lancers in Road Matchup - Tri-City Storm
- Stars Rally But Fall Short in Overtime - Lincoln Stars
- Pietila, RoughRiders Blank Steel 4-0 Friday Night - Chicago Steel
- Sioux City Completes Season Sweep Of Green Bay - Sioux City Musketeers
- Colella OT Goal Sends Lancers Past Stars, 6-5 - Omaha Lancers
- Phantoms Haunted by Former Player - Youngstown Phantoms
- Tenacious Comeback Sinks Hawks - Waterloo Black Hawks
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