Stars Sweep Omaha
April 10, 2022 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
RALSTON, Neb. - The Lincoln Stars (35-18-2-3) swept the Omaha Lancers (29-23-4-2) this weekend, beating them 7-3 at Liberty First Credit Union Arena on Saturday night. Here are five things that happened:
1.) THE TOP LINE DOES IT AGAIN
Lincoln's top forward line of Mason Marcellus, Aidan Thompson and Lucas Wahlin produced the first two goals for the Stars on Saturday.
Thompson lit the lamp for the 23rd time this season following a pass from Marcellus in behind the goal. Wahlin started the play, chipping the puck from the right corner. Thompson was left wide open in the slot, beating Lancers goaltender Kevin Pasche at 9:05.
Under three minutes later, Wahlin tipped Thompson's shot past Pasche, marking his tenth straight game with a goal.
Wahlin's deflection gave Lincoln a 2-0 lead at 11:54; the 20-year-old leads the Stars in goals with 29. The trio of Marcellus (PPG, A), Thompson (1G, 2A) and Wahlin (1G, 2A) combined for eight points in Lincoln's 7-3 win, continuing their rampant offensive streak.
2.) LEMAY SETS THE TONE
In the second period, the Lancers fought back, tying the game with a pair of goals. Alex Bump and Frank D'Ancona struck for Omaha, but Lincoln responded in the following minute.
Jo Lemay rushed from center ice, cut to the slot and fired a shot by Pasche for his ninth goal of the year at 9:57. Thompson picked up the lone assist, winning a neutral zone face-Off back for Lemay, who did the rest.
Lemay's goal grabbed the momentum back for the visitors, helping the Stars regain their footing. The 19-year-old was a plus-one rating and generated four shots on goal, along with six penalty minutes.
3.) GLEB'S GAME-WINNER
Towards the end of the second, Cameron Whitehead was tested after a Lincoln power play expired. Kennedy O'Connor was sprung out of the penalty box on a partial breakaway, but the Stars goaltender denied him with a left pad save.
At the other end of the ice, Gleb Veremyev skated into the offensive zone on the counter-attack, waiting patiently for space to open up in front of him.
Veremyev snapped a shot past Pasche's glove, doubling Lincoln's lead to 4-2 at 17:44. The Colorado College's 15th goal of the season served as the game-winner. Veremyev scored in both games this weekend against Omaha.
4.) WHITEHEAD BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN
Going back to Whitehead, the 18-year-old netminder made 24 saves, picking up his 16th win of the season.
The Northeastern commit didn't have to be too flashy thanks in large part to his stable positioning. Omaha was unable to utilize second-chance opportunities due to Whitehead's rebound control, who fought through screens and tracked the puck well all night.
Whitehead finished the season series against Omaha with a 4-1 record. He ranks solely in eighth place in the USHL in wins and sixth in save percentage (.899).
5.) FOUR GAMES LEFT
The Stars have won three straight games and have secured victories in eight out of the last ten. Lincoln currently sits four points behind the Sioux City Musketeers with four games remaining on the Stars' schedule. While Lincoln is idle on Sunday, Sioux City will wrap up their three-game series in Tri-City against the Storm.
Fourth-place Omaha is unable to catch Lincoln in the standings, trailing the Stars by 11 points with four games left. This means Lincoln will either finish second or third in the Western Conference standings after 62 games. The top two teams in each conference receive a first-round bye.
If the USHL season ended today, the Stars would host the entirety of their first-round series against the sixth-seeded Waterloo Black Hawks at the Ice Box.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2022
- Storm Wins Western Conference Regular Season Championship - Tri-City Storm
- Gamblers Drop Matinee against Muskegon - Green Bay Gamblers
- Richard Pockets Three Points, Jacks Earn 30th Win of the Season in 3-2 Victory over Green Bay - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Storm Set for Final Game of Weekend - Tri-City Storm
- Lumberjacks Sign Owen Keefe to Tender Agreement - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Stars Sweep Omaha - Lincoln Stars
- Lancers Show More Intensity, But Fall to Lincoln Back-To-Back Nights - Omaha Lancers
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