Stars vs. Black Hawks Gameday Preview
March 31, 2023 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
STARS vs. BLACK HAWKS
When: Friday, March 31 at 7:05 p.m.
Where: Ice Box
Tickets: t.co/H9xSqrmMAY
Watch: Flo Hockey (flohockey.tv/live/46154)
Listen: Mixlr (mixlr.com/lincoln-stars)
LINCOLN (32-18-3-1)
The Stars have gotten off to a great start in this stretch of five games in nine days by taking five-of-six possible points through three games. Lincoln has won back-to-back games with a 5-2 win over Sioux City last Saturday to clinch a playoff spot and then a 3-2 victory over Tri-City to guarantee at worst a split of the season series against the Storm. Mason Marcellus and Antonio Fernandez both recorded a goal and and assist while Tyler Dunbar scored his first goal with the Stars.
Lincoln has made of an advantageous schedule in March to this point. Seven-of-their-first-eight games in March were against teams with records at-or-below .500 and the Stars went 6-1-0-1 in that stretch. This past Wednesday's game with Tri-City began a new stretch where seven of the Stars' final nine games are against teams with winning records. Lincoln has a combined 17-11-1 record against the remaining four teams on its schedule (Waterloo, Omaha, Fargo and Tri-City) and is 11-10-1 against teams that currently have winning records.
WATERLOO (34-18-1)
The Black Hawks are about to embark on a three-game weekend as they play the Stars twice before taking on Sioux City on Sunday to wrap up the road trip. Waterloo had a successful three-game road trip to Fargo two weekends ago as they defeated the Fargo Force twice, including with a 7-1 win on March 18. The Black Hawks returned home last weekend and defeated Des Moines, 3-2, last Friday before being shut out by Omaha, 4-0. Last Saturday's loss was the second time that Waterloo has been shut out this season and both instances have come in their last six games.
Waterloo has controlled the season series against Lincoln, winning all four games. They got off to a slow start the last time that these two teams matched up on March 4, but rallied to control the final two periods. The Stars led 2-0 at the 13:28 mark of the first period thanks to goals by Jared Mangan and Daniel Sambuco but a three-on-three goal with 2:25 to go in the frame was the first of six unanswered goals by the Black Hawks.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Multiple Goals From Defensemen: The Stars have won all five games this season in which they have gotten multiple goals from defensemen after Dunbar and Fernandez's goal in Wednesday's win. Four-of-the-five games, including each of the last four, have come at the Ice Box. Fernandez has recorded the Stars' only multi-goal game by one defenseman this season, back on Feb. 10 vs. Sioux Falls. His 10 goals are tied for fourth in the USHL among defensemen.
Penalty Kill: Lincoln killed off all four Storm power plays on Wednesday and moved to a perfect 33-for-their-last-33 spanning the last nine games. The Stars have not allowed a power play goal in its last eight games and not since the first period on March 3 against Sioux City.
Standings: The Stars enter tonight's game one point behind the Black Hawks for second place in the Western Conference. Lincoln can move into second at the conclusion of the weekend by winning both games in regulation or by winning once in regulation and once in overtime/shootout. The top two seeds in both conferences receive first-round byes.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2023
- Robbins Stops 36 in 4-2 Win Over Youngstown - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Robbins Stops 36 In 4-2 Win Over Youngstown - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Buccaneers Silence the Lancers - Omaha Lancers
- Fargo Edged Out By Sioux City In Close Contest - Fargo Force
- Muskies Finish March with Win - Sioux City Musketeers
- Stars Swing the Game, Standings - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Stampede Drops Game One to Storm - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Weekend Preview: Weekend Homestand for Caps to Start April - Madison Capitols
- Henry Thrun Makes NHL Debut for Sharks - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- The Forecast: Storm Set for Weekend Series Against Stampede - Tri-City Storm
- Stars vs. Black Hawks Gameday Preview - Lincoln Stars
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