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USHL Tri-City Storm

Tri-City Storm Leads 2-0 in Series, Dan Labosky Sets Record for Most Assists in Storm Playoff Game

April 18, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


The Tri-City Storm has taken a 2-0 lead in its best-of-five Western Conference Semifinals series, demolishing the Sioux Falls Stampede in a pair of home games Thursday and Friday in Kearney.

One win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season, a combination of battering offense and stifling defense has dominated the first two games.

Thursday, the Storm scored three goals in the first and cruised, 4-0, led by Jake Kielly's 27-save shutout. Kielly gave the Tri-City its first postseason shutout since 2005. In Game 2, after giving up two goals in the first, Tri-City scored the next four to ring the Herd, 4-2. Dan Labosky set the Storm's single-game postseason record with three assists.

Tri-City combined for 85 shots in the two games, the most in consecutive contests this season.

The Storm's attention turns to Game 3 in Sioux Falls on Friday, April 22, at 7:05 p.m. The Storm hosts a special "watch party" at Fanatics Sports Bar in Kearney for the game. Storm playoff games can be heard on The Breeze 94.5 FM - kliqfm.com. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. for Game 3 with the Viaero Wireless Pregame Show.

If necessary, Game 4 is Sunday, April 24 at 6:05 p.m. and Game 5 is home on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:05 p.m.

http://bit.ly/Storm_Tickets

Last Week:

Thursday, April 14 vs. Sioux Falls, W, 4-0

Friday, April 15 vs. Sioux Falls, W, 4-2

Western Conference Semifinals Schedule:

#4 Sioux Falls Stampede vs. #1 Tri-City Storm

GAME 1: Thursday, April 14, 7:05 p.m. (Viaero Center) - Tri-City Storm 4, Sioux Falls Stampede 0

GAME 2: Friday, April 15, 7:05 p.m. (Viaero Center) - Tri-City Storm 4, Sioux Falls Stampede 2

GAME 3: Friday, April 22, 7:05 p.m. (Denny Sanford PREMIER CENTER) - Storm at Sioux Falls

GAME 4 (if necessary) : Sunday, April 24, 6:05 p.m. (Denny Sanford PREMIER CENTER) - Storm at Sioux Falls

GAME 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 26, 7:05 p.m. (Viaero Center) - Sioux Falls vs. Storm

Practice Schedule

Monday, April 18, 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 19, 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20, 3:00 p.m.

Need to Know:

Labosky's record

Forward Dan Labosky recorded three assists Friday against Sioux Falls, the most a Tri-City player has had in a postseason game. The 20-year-old winger's three points are the most in a Tri-City postseason game since 2004.

Labosky's effort generated Tri-City's two-goal comeback, assisting on three straight goals to give the Storm a lead in the second.

The Wisconsin commit's three points also tied the second-highest scoring game by a Tri-City player in the Clark Cup Playoffs. During the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs, Storm players Bill Thomas, Ryan Dingle, Rastislav Spirko and John Dingle combined for five games of at least three points. Bill Thomas holds the Storm's record for most points in a postseason game, accomplished March 31, 2004 in Game 1 of the opening round against the Des Moines Buccaneers.

Labosky, a native of Edina, Minnesota, is tied for the USHL postseason lead with four helpers. Last playoffs, Labosky also had four points. In 162 total USHL games (153 regular season), the 5-foot-7, 160-lb. forward has 106 points, fifth-most in Storm history.

Kielly's "nostalgic" shutout

Thursday in Game 1, Jake Kielly recorded the Storm's first playoff shutout in 11 seasons, stoning Sioux Falls on 27 shots in his first USHL playoff game.

The shutout happened almost exactly 11 years ago to the day of the last perfect performance; on April 15, 2005, Michael Zacharias made 33 saves in Game 5 of the Storm's opening-round series against the Omaha Lancers to send the Storm to the second round. The night prior, Omaha's Jeff Lerg shut out Tri-City.

Tri-City has had three playoff shutouts in the Tier I history of the league (since 2002-03). Peter Mannino, a member of the Storm's Anderson-Cup-winning team in 2003-04, had the other postseason shutout in the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs.

This regular season, Kielly boasted a .919 save percentage, the best in Tri-City's history. The Clarkson commit lost seven games in regulation out of 37 appearances. In 2003-04, Mannino lost seven games in regulation in 38 appearances. No other Storm goalie has had fewer regulation losses in a season with 30 or more starts.

First postseason goals

The Storm had six players score their first postseason goals in games one and two.

Entering the playoffs, eight Storm players combined for 55 games of Clark Cup Playoffs experience. Only two, Max Humitz and Dan Labosky, had scored at least one USHL postseason goal.

Thursday in Game 1, Carson Meyer ripped a pair of goals to give him 34 total tallies this season. The most goals for a Storm player in a season is 40, accomplished by Rastislav Spirko in 2003-04. Spriko had 35 goals in the regular season plus five goals in the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs to spear the Storm to its only Clark Cup Finals.

Jake Wahlin and Wade Allison also mashed their first postseason goals. The forwards are returning players that participated in all of the Storm's seven Clark Cup Playoff contests last season. Allison scored in games 1 and 2 this week, giving the Western Michigan commit two goals and five points in nine playoff games.

Significant in Game 2, Captain Tory Dello scored his first postseason goal and 10th career tally in his 161st career game. Nico Sturm, a 20-year-old center from Augsburg, Germany, ripped a goal, continuing his North American postseason success. Last season, Sturm led the Austin Bruins to the Robertson Cup Finals in the NAHL, scoring a team-best seven goals and 13 points. Storm goalie Jake Kielly was the starting netminder on that team. No NAHL player scored more goals than Sturm during the finals run.

Shooting gallery

The Storm took 45 shots Friday, its best since March 25 against Des Moines, to finish with 85 shots on goal in two games, the most it's had in consecutive contests this season.

The gates opened early in the first game; during the first period, the Storm collected 18 shots on goal, at the time the third most it had in a period.

In game two's second period, Tri-City took 22 shots in the middle frame, tied for the third-most shots on goal by a USHL team in a frame this season.

The Storm has made a knack of shooting against Sioux Falls. Tri-City has had at least 18 shots in a period three times against the Herd. During the regular season series, the Storm ripped 33.0 shots per game and allowed 29.7 shots per contest.

Tri-City finished the regular season fourth in the USHL with 31.9 shots per game and sixth of 17 teams allowing 28.9 shots per game. Sioux Falls ranked 14th allowing 28.9 shots per contest and 15th giving up 33.3 shots per game.

The Storm has had seven games with at least 40 shots on goal.

Game Recaps:

Western Conference Semifinals Game 1: Storm steamrolls Stampede behind Kielly's shutout, 4-0

Western Conference Semifinals Game 2: Tri-City overcomes two-goal deficit, 4-2, to take 2-0 series lead

Check out the Tri-City Storm Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from April 18, 2016


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