USHL United States Hockey League

USHL Update - Week 22

Published on February 29, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release


Around the League

Through the Gates ...Nearly 56,000 fans attended USHL games over the weekend, the second highest attended weekend of the season. The Green Bay Gamblers welcomed over 10,000 fans during their two-game weekend, including 5,607 fans on Sunday. On Saturday, the Tri-City Storm hosted their largest crowd of the season as 4,104 fans saw their overtime victory. The Fargo Force had a crowd of 4,450 for their Saturday contest, their third straight game with over 4,000 fans in attendance. The Des Moines Buccaneers had 3,719 fans on hand to watch their fourth consecutive victory on Saturday which was just 70 fans shy of matching their all-time single game attendance record. The Lincoln Stars welcomed 4,118 fans on Friday, the fifth time over the last six games that they have hosted more than 4,000. The USHL is less than 59,000 fans shy of reaching one million in attendance for the 13th straight year.

Clinchers ...The Green Bay Gamblers claimed a pair of victories during the weekend to extend their winning streak to six games, their second longest win streak of the season. The two-win weekend gave them a total of 35 victories for the season which also clinched them a playoff spot, the first USHL team to do such this season. Both wins were on home ice, giving them a League best 17 home wins this season. Green Bay has given up just seven goals combined over the six wins. Sam Herr scored three of the Gamblers four goals scored in regulation during the weekend and now has 21 on the season. He has posted a plus-five over the last three games and is now second overall in the USHL with a plus-30 rating. Nolan LaPorte scored the game-winner in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Team USA, his 25th goal of the season.

Goal Outburst ...After scoring just three total goals during a four-game losing streak, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders busted out of their offensive slump by scoring 14 goals over two weekend wins. On Friday, 15 different Riders recorded a point in the 8-1 win over Team USA. Austin Ortega scored two goals, including the winner, on Friday before again having a two-goal night on Saturday. Landon Smith had a USHL career best three-point game (1g, 2a) during Friday's win while defenseman Greg Amlong had a game high plus-five rating. Ryan McGrath scored three goals over the weekend, including the winner in Saturday's 6-4 victory over Chicago, to give him 25 goals over his two-year USHL career.

Jack Attack ...The Muskegon Lumberjacks found a great way to snap a three-game winless skid by earning five of six points while playing three games in three nights over the weekend. Max Shuart scored a goal in Friday's 3-1 win over Indiana and then had a USHL career high three points (2g, 1a), which included a shorthanded goal, in Saturday's 6-5 shootout win against Indiana. Matt DeBlouw recorded three points (1g, 2a) on Saturday plus had the deciding shootout tally in the sixth round of the shootout. Tyler Heinonen had a point in all three games (1g, 2a) plus converted his shootout attempts on both Saturday and Sunday. Goaltender John Keeney posted a 1.44 GAA and .961 SV% over two appearances during the weekend which included a 42-save effort in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to Green Bay. Ryan Lomberg added his team-leading 15th goal of the season on Sunday.

Buc Stuff ...The Des Moines Buccaneers earned a win on both Friday and Saturday to push their winning streak to four games, their longest of the season, before having their streak ended on Sunday by Waterloo. Gasper Kopitar scored a goal in each of the Bucs four wins, including the winner in Friday's 3-1 victory against Sioux City. Anthony Greco scored a pair of goals in Saturday's 6-3 win against Sioux City as the Bucs equaled a season high in goals. Joseph Gambardella also scored two goals on Saturday, including the game-winner, which were his first two goals in the USHL. Defenseman Ethan Prow dished out three assists over the two victories and has posted a plus-10 rating over his last eight games.

In the Clutch ...Forward Brian Ward scored just 48 seconds into overtime, his second goal of the game, to lead the Tri-City Storm to the 3-2 win against Lincoln on Saturday. It was the first game for the Storm this season that was decided in the overtime session. Combined with their perfect 3-0 shootout record, the Storm is the only USHL team this season to have not lost a game that has gone past regulation.

Quick Strikes ...Defenseman Brian Cooper and forward Jonny Brodzinski scored just six seconds apart for the Fargo Force during the second period of Saturday's 6-2 win against Waterloo. It just was one second longer than the USHL record for the fastest two goals (five seconds) by teammates that was set by the Thunder Bay Flyers in both 1987 and 1989. Brodzinski's goal would stand as the game-winner, his first game-winning goal in the USHL.

Staying On Top ...The Omaha Lancers are 2-1-0 thus far on their four-game road stretch giving them 14 road wins this season, the most in the Western Conference. Casey Bailey scored a goal on both Friday and Saturday which included the game-winner in Friday's 4-1 victory at Fargo. He leads the team with 21 goals this season. Kenney Morrison scored a goal for the third straight game on Friday. He has 11 goals for the season which is second among all USHL defensemen. Goaltender Alex Lyon made 41 saves on Friday and then stopped 28 shots during Saturdays' 3-2 win at Sioux Falls to give him 20 victories for the season. Michael Ferratino scored in regulation and then had the lone shootout tally on Saturday to lead the Lancers to victory.

Road Tested ...The Youngstown Phantoms wrapped up a three-game road stretch by earning three of a possible four points over two weekend contests. They have earned points in six straight road games (5-0-1) and have 13 road victories this season, second most in the Eastern Conference. The power play has been clicking during the six-game road stretch going 8-of-27 (29.6%) which included three power play goals in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to Lincoln. Goaltender Sean Romeo made a USHL career high 43 saves on Friday. Forward J.T. Stenglein scored two goals in Saturday's 5-2 victory over Dubuque, his second multi-goal game over his last three contests and fifth of the season.

30 Club ...Indiana Ice forward Daniil Tarasov scored his 30th goal of the season on Saturday during the 6-5 shootout loss to Muskegon. It was his third straight game with a goal and helped him reach the 30-goal mark for the second straight season. The last USHL player to have 30-or-more goals in back-to-back seasons was Peter Sejna who put up consecutive 40-goal seasons for the Des Moines Buccaneers (1998-2000). Tarasov's goal on Saturday was the 67th of his USHL career, but the first shorthanded goal he has scored in the League.

Just in Time ...With the goaltender pulled in favor of the extra attacker for the Lincoln Stars, Dominik Shine tied the game with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation on Friday to force overtime. Jared Hanson would then score the lone goal of the shootout to give the Stars a 4-3 win against Youngstown. It was the third time this season that Lincoln has scored the tying or winning goal with less than 30 seconds remaining in the third period.

Notes ...Defenseman Alex Barron scored his first goal as a member of the Waterloo Black Hawks on Sunday which proved to be the game-winner in the 4-3 victory against Des Moines...Dubuque Fighting Saints forward Tyler Lundey scored his 15th goal of the season in Friday's 3-2 victory over Waterloo, which was also his fifth game-winner of the season. All five of his game-winning goals have come in one-goal games this season...The Sioux City Musketeers equaled a season high in goals during last Tuesday's 6-3 win against Omaha. Josh Erickson scored two goals for the Musketeers, including the game-winner, which was his first multi-goal game of his USHL career. He also posted a game high plus-five rating.

Check out the United States Hockey League Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United States Hockey League Stories from February 29, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central