KEARNEY, Neb. – On the heels of Saturday night’s win that moved the team into first place in the Western Conference, Tri-City Storm players Chris Wilkie and Tory Dello have been recognized by the USHL league office as players of the week.
Wilkie was named Forward of the Week after accounting for seven points on two goals and five assists in the team’s three games, while Dello was named Defenseman of the Week after scoring his first two goals of the season, including the game-winning tally against Omaha on Saturday night.
A commit to the University of North Dakota, Wilkie leads the league with 31 goals in 51 games. The forward is currently riding a 5-game point streak in which he has nine points on four goals and five assists.
The Omaha native also leads the USHL in four other categories including power play goals (14), shots on goal (257), game-winning goals (7), and shootout goals (7).
Wilkie started off his week with a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win over the Stars in Lincoln on Tuesday. He then picked up assists on each of the Storm’s three goals during Friday night’s loss to Lincoln. Wilkie assisted on Dello’s game-winning goal Saturday, before scoring his 31st of the season for some insurance in the third period of a 5-3 victory.
A Notre Dame commit, Dello has two goals and 14 assists with a +9 rating in 48 games this season. The defenseman also has an active point streak of four games, with two goals and two assists to go along with a +3 rating.
Both skaters are in their second season with Tri-City and are receiving their first honors of the season from the league. Other Storm players who have been recognized during the 2014-15 season include defensemen Bobby Nardella and Mattias Goransson, as well as goaltender Alec Dillon.
Tri-City leads the Western Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Sioux City.
The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, hosting Des Moines for two games. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s is at 7:05.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.