Stars Weekly
September 25, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
LAST WEEK:
Friday, September 21: Stars 3, Storm 2 (OT)Shots: Stars 39, Storm 26
PP: Stars 1-for-1, Storm 0-for-2
On Friday, Josiah Slavin scored on the team's lone power play in extra time, giving the Lincoln Stars a 3-2 overtime win over the Tri-City Storm on Friday night at The Ice Box.
The Stars continued their early success in games by notching the first goal at 9:47 of the first period on a pass from forward Caleb Rule to Philippe Lapointe, giving the Stars a 1-0 lead. The Storm followed suit with their own tally at 15:26 from forward Joe Berg to knot the game, 1-1.
In the second period, Rule snuck behind the Tri-City defense to create a breakaway and scoring to take back the lead, 2-1, at 5:26. The Storm bounced back again with an answer from forward Ian Murphy at 17:13, sending the contest tied at 2-2 into the third period.
After a scoreless final period, the Stars went into overtime on the power play. At 0:44, Stars forward Josiah Slavin showed patience off the left post to wait for an opening and find the net, helping the Stars to a 3-2 overtime win over the Storm.
Stars goaltender Wouter Peeters (2-0-0) stopped 24 of 26 shots in the win, while Storm netminder Isaiah Saville (1-0-1) halted 35 of 38 shots in the overtime loss.
Saturday, September 22: Stars 3, Lancers 2Shots: Stars 17, Lancers 27
PP: Stars 1-for-5, Lancers 1-for-6
On Saturday, the Stars completed a sudden comeback Saturday night when Josh Lopina hopped on a rebound and ripped a puck past Vinnie Purpura with under 2:49 remaining in regulation. Just 1:26 earlier, Mason Klee went top shelf on Purpura, with just shy of five minutes to play. The rally was only made possible after Stars netminder Lance Leonard made a flurry of saves in the middle of the third, denying several grade-A chances on the doorstep to preserve what was only a one-goal Omaha lead.
As has been customary this preseason, the Lancers found early success scoring first when Ryan Savage re-directed a Cam Ginnetti point shot at 18:12 in the first.The power play tally would go unanswered until the 12:12 marker of the second period, when Ville Räsänen hammered a shot from the right circle past Purpura off helpers from Samuli Niinisaari and Randy Hernandez. The goal was scored on the first of two five-minute majors assessed to the Lancers on the evening.
Omaha would respond at 18:35 when Cameron Berg sprung Jerry Harding up the ice over the left side of Lincoln territory. Harding's sudden speed caught the Stars off guard, allowing him to put a backhand shot behind Leonard for the Lancers 2-1 lead. The score would hold until late in the third, when Klee kicked off the rally off helpers from Lopina and Wyatt Schlaht. Lopina's later game-winner came courtesy of Schlaht and Niinisaari, giving both players two-point efforts on the evening.
In the victory Lance Leonard was solid in the crease, erasing 25 of 27 shots on net on his way to his first victory of the preseason. Vinnie Purpura stopped 14 of 17 in the loss.
THIS WEEK:
Thursday, September 27 vs. Chicago Steel - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, September 28 vs. Cedar Rapids Rough Riders - 7:00 p.m.
The Stars kick off their regular season as the USHL Fall Classic takes place in Pittsburgh this week. Lincoln will open with the Chicago Steel on Friday night at 7:00 pm EDT. The pair met just twice last season with each winning on the other's ice. Over the course of two games, the two teams combined for 17 goals and 78 penalty minutes.
Against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders last year, Lincoln would drop the opening road contest, but would rally to earn a gritty home win in the second game between the teams. With just 16 skaters dressed, the Stars were able to score five times to best the RoughRiders 5-1. Stars 2018-19 returners Josiah Slavin, Philippe LaPointe, and Tristan Ashbrook each recorded a goal and an assist in a win that was number four in a streak of 10 consecutive victories.
PROMOTIONS:
The Stars open the 2018-19 home schedule on Friday, Oct. 5 at 7:05 p.m. against the Omaha Lancers. Enjoy All You Can Eat Hockey with free parking at the Ice Box with a full or partial season membership! Call 402-474-7827 or order online at www.LincolnStars.com to lock in your membership to Lincoln's best value entertainment!
United States Hockey League Stories from September 25, 2018
- Steel Announce 2018-2019 Leadership Group - Chicago Steel
- Phantoms Announce 2018-19 Roster - Youngstown Phantoms
- Gamblers Finalize Roster - Green Bay Gamblers
- Stars Weekly - Lincoln Stars
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