USHL Tri-City Storm

Storm Sweeps Weekend Led by Goaltending

Published on December 7, 2015 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


The Tri-City Storm swept the best team in the USHL, the Lincoln Stars, in a home-and-home set Saturday and Sunday to move into the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division (22 points).

First, the Storm used 31 saves by goaltender Jake Kielly on Saturday to shoot down the Stars, 4-3, at the Ice Box. Sunday at the Viaero Center, Carson Meyer scored less than a minute into the game, making the teddy bears fly for the Teddy Bear Toss as part of a dominant 4-1 victory.

Tri-City plays its final two home games of December this Friday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 12, at 7:05 p.m. against the Bloomington Thunder. Last Week:

Saturday, December 5 at Lincoln: Win, 4-3 Sunday, December 6 vs. Lincoln: Win, 4-1

This Week:

Friday, December 11 vs. Bloomington, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 12 vs. Bloomington, 3:05 p.m.

Need to Know:

Eden Prairie's finest There are only two goalies in the USHL from Eden Prairie, MN, and the Storm has both, Jake Kielly and Dayton Rasmussen. Each notched wins over the weekend against Lincoln.

Kielly, 19, grabbed his fifth win Saturday, making 31 saves. The first-year USHL netminder is 5-0-0-0 when he has saved at least 30 shots in a game.

Rasmussen, 17, upended the Stars Sunday, making 29 saves on 30 shots in his first start with the Storm. The Denver commit has 34 saves on 35 shots in his first two games with the Storm since being acquired from the Waterloo Black Hawks Nov. 15.

Canada bound Three Storm players - John Marino, Carson Meyer and Jake Wahlin - leave Tuesday to represent the U.S. Junior Select Team in the World Junior A Challenge.

The tournament runs from Dec. 13-19 in Cobourg and Whitby, Ontario, Canada, meaning the three players will miss the next four Storm games while wearing the red, white and blue.

The trio has combined for 17 of Tri-City's 56 goals (21%) and 52 of the Storm's 148 points (35.1%).

Meyer has goals in three straight games, pushing to third in the league with 12 goals. The native of Powell, Ohio leads Tri-City with 21 points, good for eighth in the USHL.

Wahlin ranks second on the club with 19 points and has eight power-play points (1g, 7a), tied with Meyer for second-best on the squad.

Marino, a sixth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, has 11 points, second on the team behind his defensive partner and USHL defensemen points leader, Mattias Goransson (19p).

Fight nights The Storm dropped the gloves three times with Lincoln over the weekend, part of 158 combined penalty minutes racked up between the two division foes.

Tri-City has four fighting majors this season, all against the Stars. Captain Tory Dello has participated in a pair of bouts against Lincoln, the first two fighting majors of his USHL career, including one Sunday against Adam Brady.

Mattias Goransson dropped the mitts against Biagio Lerario Saturday, Goransson's second career fighting major. Wade Allison fought Sunday against Luke Jaycox, the first fighting major of Allison's USHL tenure.

Allison had more penalty minutes this weekend (17) than the previous 55 games of his USHL career (14).

Other News and Notes

- Forward Paul Washe had his first multi-point game (1g, 1a) in the USHL Sunday, doubling his points total to four.

- Wade Allison had his most-productive weekend of the season, accumulating three goals and a plus-3 rating to guide the Storm to a weekend sweep.

- No USHL defenseman has been better offensively than Mattias Goransson, who picked up four assists this weekend to regain his place as highest-scoring USHL blueliner (19p).

Game Recaps:

Game 21 vs. Lincoln: Kielly steals show, Storm takes down Stars, 4-3 Recap Box Score Highlights

Goalie Jake Kielly stopped 31 shots, Nico Sturm potted the game-winning goal early in the third and the Tri-City Storm held on against the Lincoln Stars in a back-and-forth game, 4-3, Saturday from the Ice Box.

The 19-year-old netminder Kielly made 11 saves in the final period, denying Lincoln chances after the Stars forced a tie in the last five minutes of the second. Kielly made a full extension, diving save from the left post on Biagio Lerario with about eight minutes left in the third to hold the Storm's one-goal lead.

Sturm's goal, his seventh tally and first game-winning goal of the season, came at the 2:24 mark of the third on the power play and was assisted by Mattias Goransson and Jake Wahlin to give Tri-City a 4-3 lead.

Using Kielly as a guide, the Storm never trailed. Kielly is 5-0-0-0 when he has made at least 30 saves in a game and holds a 5-4-0-0 record. Peyton Jones made 21 saves on 25 shots in defeat

Dan Labosky had a goal and an assist for the Storm, while Mattias Goransson chipped in with two assists.

Game 22 vs. Lincoln: Meyer makes bears fly, Rasmussen gets first win, 4-1 Recap Box Score Highlights

Carson Meyer scored in the first minute of the game, sending the teddy bears flying and the Stars reeling, 4-1, against the Lincoln Stars Saturday at the Viaero Center.

The goal, Meyer's team-leading 12th of the season, started an avalanche matched by Tri-City goalie Dayton Rasmussen, who made 29 saves on 30 shots in his Storm debut for his first USHL victory.

The fans threw teddy bears on the ice as part of the Storm's Teddy Bear Toss after Meyer's first goal, with the Marine Corps collecting the bears thrown by Storm fans for charity.

Wade Allison scored twice for the Storm, giving him five goals and seven points in his last seven games.

Meyer's offensive rush 37 seconds into the first catapulted Tri-City to a 1-0 lead on the Storm's second shot on goal. Lincoln goalie Patrik Virtanen took the loss with 19 saves.

The Storm completes a three-game home stand with two games this weekend against Bloomington, Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3:05 p.m. Friday's game is Ugly Sweater Night, presented by Sam's Club, plus a Free Kids Friday, college night and dollar beer night. Saturday is Boy Scout Day plus Stormy's 16th birthday.

Groups of 10+ can get discounted group tickets for as low as $11! For more information contact the Storm Box Office at 308-338-8144.

Check out the Tri-City Storm Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from December 7, 2015


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