Third Period Lifts Omaha, 4-2, in Fargo
March 25, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Omaha Lancers News Release
Omaha Lancers Battle the Fargo Force
(Omaha Lancers)
Fargo, ND - Starting the third period tied, Austin Lemieux, Brannon McManus, and Matt Meier all scored for the Omaha Lancers on Friday night on route to a 4-2 victory over the Fargo Force in front of 3,484 fans at Scheels Arena.
Early in the game, Riley Tufte gave the Fargo Force a 1-0 lead on a shot from the left wing wall. Ryan Wischow sent a pass to Jack Adams who then forwarded the puck up to Tufte in the neutral zone. Tufte, a Minnesota-Duluth commit, skated into the offensive zone and from the left wall fired a low wrist shot that beat Lancers goaltender Zackarias Skog on his glove side for the early advantage. The goal was Tufte's seventh of the season and came 2:15 into the game. In the first period, Omaha killed off all three power-play chances that Fargo had to keep the deficit at one goal through twenty minutes.
Omaha cashed in on their first power play of the night to tie the game and Patrick Harper tallied his first-career USHL goal. Jacob Bryson, Brannon McManus, and Josh French worked the puck above the offensive zone circles trying to set up a chance. McManus dished the puck cross-ice to Harper at the bottom of the right wing circle. Force goaltender Ryan Wischow scrambled to get back to make the save. Harper waited patiently, and slid the puck through the legs of Wischow to tie the game at 6:54 of the middle period.
In the third period, Omaha broke out for three goals. It all started with Jacob Bryson and Austin Lemieux connecting for a one-goal lead. Bryson was stopped on his original chance from the left side of the offensive zone. After picking up the loose puck, Bryson fed Austin Lemieux who one-timed a shot by a sprawling Ryan Wischow in net for the 2-1 lead. The goal was Lemieux's sixth of the season 5:13 into the third period.
Jacob Bryson came through again with an assist to help the Lancers move out to a 3-1 lead. While on the power play, the Providence College commit sent the puck to an awaiting Brannon McManus. Inside the left wing circle, McManus lifted the one-time slap shot over the blocker of Ryan Wischow on his right side for his 15th of the year. Once again, Bryson was credited with the only assist on the pass from the top of the circles and came just 1:12 after Lemieux's goal. Official time of McManus' goal was the 6:25 mark.
On their seventh power play of the night, the Force finally came through with a goal to pull the deficit back to one. From the right wing circle, Riley Tufte settled down a hard pass and ripped it under the glove of Zackarias Skog. The power-play goal was Fargo's first of the night, and Tufte's eighth goal of the year at 11:42. The pass to Tufte was sent by Blake Lizotte, who was given the lone assist.
Late in the game, Fargo's defense pinched in from the blue line but Nathan Krusko forced the puck behind them. His forced turnover started a two-on-none rush for the Lancers starting at center ice. Krusko dished the puck to Matt Meier and the left-handed forward played the puck over Ryan Wischow for the late tally and a 4-2 lead. Meier's goal was his seventh and came with just 1:13 left in the game. That held up as the final and the Lancers advanced to 24-25-4-1 on the season and sit just five points behind fourth-place Fargo. Sioux Falls now is just three points up on the Lancers.
Zackarias Skog stopped 24 of 26 in the victory.
The Lancers face Fargo on the road again in the series finale tomorrow night from Scheels Arena. Puck drops both nights at 7:05 p.m. Can't make it? Fans can listen live to the game beginning at 6:50 p.m. CT with the Valpak Pregame Show on News Talk 1290, Omaha Lancers Mobile App, www.mighty1290koil.com, and www.FASTHockey.com.
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 Omaha Lancers Battle the Fargo Force |
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