USHL Lincoln Stars

Stars Staunch Effort Hands Des Moines Their First Loss of the Season

October 7, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release


On Saturday, the Stars took the ice in Urbandale, Iowa in search of victory number two on the season. Their opponent, the Des Moines Buccaneers, entered play tied for the league's best record at 3-0-0 and the USHL's best offense, scoring just under six goals a game.

Lincoln didn't pay those numbers any mind. With the help of steady defense in front of him, rookie goalie Jacob Mucitelli blanked the Bucs through the opening 20 minutes of play.

Bolstered by their steady defensive coverage, Lincoln went to work on offense. Their first goal came from familiar sources: Shane Pinto and the power play. Pinto parked himself in front of a Declan Carlile shot from the point, tipping the puck over Bucs goalie James Durham and under the bar for the 1-0 lead.

Hunter Carrick followed up with a snipe from the right point with just seconds remaining in the opening period. Logan Britt and Philippe Lapointe picked up the helpers on the tally.

Josiah Slavin continued the Stars attack with a goal at 2:57 into the second period. The Stars captain buried his first tally of the season after Pinto and Devlin McCabe set him up on a man-advantage, giving Lincoln their second-straight game with multiple power play goals.

The Buccaneers pushed back at 7:28 when Patty Schmiedlin uncorked a wrister, top shelf, past Mucitelli. Fueled by the score, the Des Moines forecheck gained steam through to the final minute of the period. During a stretch of four-on-four play, Matt Brown added his fifth goal of the year, using his speed to drive around the Stars defense and finish with a quick move around Mucitelli.

With their lead narrowed to one, the Stars returned in the third with a fast-paced attack. Just past the 8:00 mark, Slavin burned his way in over the left side of the Buccaneers line, pulled up and handed the puck to Shane Pinto. As Pinto maneuvered to the net, he flipped the puck back to McCabe, who fired it behind the Durham's back for the game's final goal.

Fighting off a Des Moines comeback effort through a penalty and a Buccaneers late-game extra attacker, the Stars came away with two more points when the clock hit zero. In the win, Lincoln's special teams went 2/6 on the power play and 3/3 on the kill. Jacob Mucitelli (1-0-0-0) made 24 saves on 26 shots in his first Stars win.

Lincoln returns home Friday, October 12th when they host the Dubuque Fighting Saints at 7:05 PM.

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