KEARNEY, Neb. – The Sioux Falls Stampede (21-11-2) withstood a late comeback from the Tri-City Storm (12-19-2) and held on to win 6-4 at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night.
Nolan Aibel scored his first career USHL goal, while Dan Labosky, Chris Wilkie and Garrett Gamez each recorded two assists for the Storm in the loss.
The Stampede took control of the game in the opening period, scoring twice to take a 2-0 lead and outshooting the injury plagued Storm 16-7. Veteran forwards C.J. Franklin and Dennis Kravchenko each scored power play goals in the first frame.
Tri-City cut the lead in half early on in the middle period, when Aibel found the back of the net for the first time in his 12th game in a Storm sweater. Gamez and Patrick Curry were each credited with an assist on the play.
But the Storm couldn’t stay out of the penalty box, giving Sioux Falls eight power plays in the first 40 minutes. The Stampede capitalized, scoring twice more on the power play, and once during a 4-on-4 situation.
After Dakota Joshua and Kravchenko had scored on the power play, Storm head coach Jim Hulton pulled starting netminder Jacob Johansson in favor of backup Hayden Lavigne.
Lavigne surrendered a fifth goal to defenseman Ed McGovern and Sioux Falls took a 5-1 lead into the locker room after two periods.
The Storm never gave up however, and made a game of it in the final 20 minutes of play.
First, Garrett Cecere found the back of the net for the first time this season while on a power play to cut the lead to 5-2. Both Labosky and Wilkie assisted on the man-advantage goal.
Just under six minutes later, Austin Poganski scored his 10th of the season and pulled Tri-City within two, at 5-3. Once again, Labosky and Wilkie had assists on what was the Storm’s third power play goal of the evening.
Storm forward Ryan McMurphy capped off a three-goal run by Tri-City and pulled his team within a goal with under three minutes remaining in the game, taking a pass from Gamez and scoring his seventh tally of the season to make it 5-4.
But Tri-City ran out of time and Kravchenko completed a hat trick, scoring an empty net goal with 32 seconds left on the clock to seal the 6-4 win for Sioux Falls.
Both teams had big nights on the man advantage, as Sioux Falls scored on four of eight power play chances and Tri-City found the back three times in eight chances.
Winning goaltender David Jacobson made 28 saves and picked up his first assist of the season on the team’s second goal of the night.
Johansson made 18 stops before being replaced and Lavigne saved 11 of 12 shots that came his way in the second half of the game.
The Storm will travel to Omaha for their final matchup of the season with the Lancers on Friday night at7:05 p.m. Tri-City will then return home to face the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday, also at 7:05.
Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Thomas Aldworth, Christian Horn and Nick Hutchison, along with defensemen Kevin Kerr, Cutler Martin and Nolan Gluchowski.…
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
Sioux Falls – Dennis Kravchenko (power play) (Griffen Molino) 8:44
Sioux Falls – C.J. Franklin (power play) (David Jacobson) 16:45
2nd Period
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel (Garrett Gamez, Patrick Curry) 5:09
Sioux Falls – Dakota Joshua (power play) (Tony Calderone, Jason Stephanik) 8:55
Sioux Falls – Dennis Kravchenko (power play) (Jack Stander) 11:20
Sioux Falls – Ed McGovern (Dakota Joshua, Ryan Schwalbe) 16:31
3rd Period
Tri-City – Garrett Cecere (power play) (Dan Labosky, Chris Wilkie) 6:38
Tri-City – Austin Poganski (power play) (Chris Wilkie, Dan Labosky) 12:22
Tri-City – Ryan McMurphy (Garrett Gamez) 17:33
Sioux Falls – Dennis Kravchenko (empty net) (unassisted) 19:28
PENALTIES
1st Period
Sioux Falls – Ryan Schwalbe – (Hooking), 2 min, 2:39
Tri-City – Drew Mayer – (High Sticking), 2 min, 3:27
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (High Sticking), 2 min, 6:40
Sioux Falls – Daniel Fritz – (Charging), 2 min, 9:14
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 16:16
2nd Period
Tri-City – Drew Mayer – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 0:05
Sioux Falls – R.J. Majkozak – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 3:12
Sioux Falls – R.J. Majkozak – (Checking From Behind) (Misconduct), 10 min, 3:12
Tri-City – Joel L’Esperance – (High Sticking), 2 min, 6:56
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 9:54
Sioux Falls – Daniel Fritz – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 12:22
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Tripping), 2 min, 15:16
Sioux Falls – Griffen Molino – (Tripping), 2 min, 16:13
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 18:45
3rd Period
Sioux Falls – Dakota Joshua – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 4:46
Sioux Falls – Jack Stander – (Interference), 2 min, 5:22
Sioux Falls – Daniel Fritz – (Holding), 2 min, 10:48
Power Play
Sioux Falls – 4/8
Tri-City – 3/8
Shots
Sioux Falls: 16, 11, 8 = Total: 35
Tri-City: 7, 7, 18 = Total: 32
Saves
Sioux Falls – David Jacobson – 28/32
Tri-City – Jacob Johansson – 18/22, Hayden Lavigne – 11/12
