Tait Scores Twice As Lancers Top Stars, 7-3
February 8, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
RALSTON, NE - In front of a standing room only crowd of 3,827, the team's tenth sellout this season at Ralston Arena, the Omaha Lancers made it two straight games with seven goals, as they defeated the Lincoln Stars on Saturday by a final score of 7-3. With the win, the Lancers improved to 30-9-4 overall this season and with 64 points, remain alone in second place in the Western Conference and overall USHL standings, two points shy of the first-place Waterloo Black Hawks.
In a hair-raising first period, the Stars got on the board first as Max Humitz stashed home a terrific piece of playmaking from Brandon Smith at 6:51 for a 1-0 Lincoln lead. The Lancers responded briskly, however, with a deluge of scoring that began with a Jake Randolph goal at 7:52, assisted by Tyler Vesel and Luca Frigo.
Ryan Tait kept the momentum going for Omaha at 12:03, when Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson clanked a transition wrister off the crossbar and Tait, a Providence College recruit, swept the rebound across the goal line for the Lancers' first lead. A Tyler Vesel power-play deflection made it 3-1 Omaha at 14:32, assisted by Steven Johnson and Jake Randolph, but Lincoln captain Zach Frye potted a center-point slapper in the frame's final minute to send the Lancers into the first intermission up just 3-2.
In a chippy second period that featured 38 combined penalty minutes, including a game-ejection to Frye, only one goal was scored, that being Tait's second of the game at 9:23, a power-play marker set up beautifully by Jimmy Schuldt and Niklas Folin, that proved to be the game-winning score.
The Lancers reloaded in the second intermission and came out firing in the third to the tune of three unanswered goals, starting with a Brian Williams tally at 6:53, assisted by Jimmy Schuldt and Austin Pooley. Forsbacka-Karlsson followed suit at the eight minute mark with Folin grabbing an assist on the play and a shorthanded, unassisted empty-netter for Frigo at 12:00 capped the scoring for the Lancers. A late John Simonson goal for Lincoln at 15:42 established the final margin at 7-3 Lancers.
Next up for the Lancers, it's a Valentine's Day clash with the Lincoln Stars at the Icebox Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday at 7:05 pm in the final meeting between the two fierce rivals this season. Full coverage of Friday's game begins with the "Valpak Pregame Show" at 6:50 pm on the Lancers' flagship station, "The Mighty" 1290 KOIL with Lancers broadcaster Tony Brown providing the play-by-play.
In 2013-14, the five-time Anderson Cup and seven-time Clark Cup Champion Omaha Lancers drop the puck on their 28th season in the USHL. Season ticket packages for the Lancers' second campaign at the state-of-the-art Ralston Arena are available now starting at just $12.50 per game! To reserve your seats, contact the Lancers' ticket office today at 402-344-7825, extension 1, or log on to www.lancers.com for more information. Be sure to follow the Lancers on Twitter @OmahaLancers and don't forget to 'Like' the official "Omaha Lancers" fan page on Facebook.
United States Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2014
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