USHL Tri-City Storm

Storm Strengthens First-Place Lead in OT Loss, 4-3

April 1, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


Kearney, Neb. - Jere Astren scored a power-play goal with 3:45 left in overtime for the Fargo Force, pinching it past the Tri-City Storm, 4-3, Friday at the Viaero Center.

With Dan Labosky in the box for a two-minute charging call, Astren pounced with a top-shelf slap shot.

Wade Allison, Carson Meyer and Nico Sturm scored for Tri-City. The Storm is three points ahead of the Stars for first place in the Western Conference entering the final three games.

The Force's Niko Hildenbrand scored with 3:29 left to tie the contest at three.

Jake Kielly took the loss with 19 saves, slightly outdueled by Ryan Wischow, who won with 31 saves.

The Force and Storm each scored on its third shot of the game. At 4:45 of the opening frame, Hugo Reinhardt placed a slot wrister to the right pocket past Kielly, assisted by Riley Tufte and Brad Johnson.

After a media timeout, the Storm offense woke up. Andrew Peski held the zone at the right point and filtered a light wrist shot net front. Carson Meyer stopped a bouncing puck, caught Wischow out of place and scored 1:41 after Fargo's tally.

Meyer has four goals in two games and 31 tallies this season, four away from the Storm's single-season record and tied for fifth with Bill Thomas.

Both power plays scored in the second to keep the contest tied entering the third. The Force scored with 3:14 left in the second, courtesy of a point bomb from Denis Smirnov. The power-play goal came with 1:53 remaining on a double-minor high sticking called against the Storm's Paul Washe.

The goal ended a streak of 24 consecutive Tri-City penalty kills. The Storm killed two of four Fargo power plays and was 1-for-3 on the man up.

Again, the Storm responded relatively quickly. John Marino devised the play thanks to excellent hand-eye coordination. Denis Smirnov cleared the puck for the Force, but Marino knocked a flying puck down behind the blue line. He slipped a pass from his left pocket to the left slot for Nico Sturm. The 20-year-old slung a one-legged wrister top shelf.

Wade Allison scored his 24th of the season, assisted by Alex Limoges, on a left-slot pass at 10:08 of the final frame. Second on the club in goals, Allison has points in three straight games and 31 of his last 36 contests.

Niko Hildenbrand scored to tie the game before Astren's sixth of the season, an overtime winner. Astren has two overtime-winning goals against Tri-City.

The Storm has points in 32 of its last 37 games.

Check out the Tri-City Storm Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from April 1, 2016


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