KEARNEY, Neb. – The Sioux Falls Stampede got two goals and an assist from forward Mikey Eyssimont and stepped up its third period defense to defeat the Tri-City Storm 3-2 on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final at the Viaero Event Center, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1.

Tri-City got goals from Mason Appleton and Bobby Nardella in the loss, while forwards Garrett Gamez and Nick Master each had assists on both Storm goals.

Netminder Alec Dillon made 22 saves and took his first loss of the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs. Dillon made numerous high-quality saves on shots in close during the second and third periods, keeping his team in the game.
Despite outshooting Sioux Falls 16-6 in the first, the Storm trailed 1-0 after the opening period on a goal by Troy Loggins. Tri-City also failed to convert on a 55 second 5-on-3 power play advantage in the first half of the period.

The Storm evened the score at 12:32 of the second with a power play goal from Appleton. Gamez got the puck to Appleton with a diving poke check and the Michigan State commit was able to tap it home while Sioux Falls netminder Stefanos Lekkas was out of position.

Appleton now leads all Storm skaters with three playoff goals in the team’s five postseason games.

But the Stampede took control of the game just minutes later when Eyssimont scored twice in just over two minutes. Both goals were assisted by Dakota Joshua and Troy Loggins.

Tri-City cut it to a one-goal game 1:02 after Eyssimont’s second tally when Nardella scored his second playoff goal. Master got the puck back to the defenseman at the left point during a broken play and the Notre Dame commit hammered it past Lekkas.

Neither team was able to score in the third period, in which the Storm outshot Sioux Falls 11-9. Tri-City had the advantage in shots on net 36-25 on the night, with Lekkas making 34 saves to earn the win for the Stampede.

Game 2 was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday, but was postponed to Wednesday due to an ice issue.

The series now shifts to Sioux Falls for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday this weekend. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag and Nolan Aibel, along with defenseman Jason Krych…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
Sioux Falls – Troy Loggins (Mikey Eyssimont, Dillon Eichstadt) 17:47

2nd Period

Tri-City – Mason Appleton (power play) (Garrett Gamez, Nick Master) 12:32
Sioux Falls – Mikey Eyssimont (Dakota Joshua, Troy Loggins) 15:10
Sioux Falls – Mikey Eyssimont (Dakota Joshua, Troy Loggins) 17:22
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (Nick Master, Garrett Gamez) 18:24

 

3rd Period
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Sioux Falls – Dillon Eichstadt – (Hooking), 2 min, 5:58
Sioux Falls – Troy Loggins – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 6:31
Tri-City – Nick Master – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 6:31
Sioux Falls – Logan O’Connor – (Hooking), 2 min, 7:04
Sioux Falls – Dakota Joshua – (Roughing), 2 min, 19:57
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez – (Roughing), 2 min, 19:57
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Kneeing), 2 min, 19:57

2nd Period
Sioux Falls – Daniel Warpecha – (Tripping), 2 min, 3:32
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Roughing), 2 min, 6:02
Sioux Falls – Matt Nuttle – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 11:42
Sioux Falls – Mikey Eyssimont (Roughing), 2 min, 11:42
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Roughing), 2 min, 11:42
Tri-City – Vince Pedrie – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 18:24

3rd Period
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 4:29
Sioux Falls – Dakota Joshua – (Roughing), 2 min, 19:59
Tri-City – Mason Appleton – (Roughing) (Double Minor), 4 min, 19:59
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) (Misconduct), 10 min, 19:59

Power Play

Sioux Falls – 0/4

Tri-City – 1/4

Shots

Sioux Falls: 6, 10, 9 = Total: 25
Tri-City: 16, 9, 11 = Total: 36

Saves
Sioux Falls – Stefanos Lekkas – 34/36
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 22/25

KEARNEY, Neb. – Game 2 of the USHL Western Conference Final between the Tri-City Storm and Sioux Falls Stampede has been rescheduled for Wednesday night, April 29in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center at 7:05 p.m.

All tickets originally purchased for Saturday’s Game 2 will be honored on Wednesday.

The Viaero Event Center will be offering a special deal at concession stands for $2 16 oz cans of Bud Light and Coors Light, as well as $2 Coca-Cola products.

Tickets for Wednesday’s makeup game will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m.

For any additional ticketing questions, please contact Alicia Korte, Director of Ticketing and Fan Relations at 308-338-8011.

The remaining series schedule will remain unchanged. The Storm apologize for any inconveniences the postponement may have caused.

KEARNEY, Neb. – Game 2 of the Western Conference Final between the Tri-City Storm and the Sioux Falls Stampede has been postponed due to an ice issue at the Viaero Event Center.

No makeup date has been announced. Stay tuned to stormhockey.com, and more details will be announced soon.

Tickets purchased for the postponed game will continue to be honored by the Viaero Event Center when a makeup date is announced.

KEARNEY, Neb. – Chase Berger scored his first two USHL playoff goals and led the Tri-City Storm to a 4-2 win over the Sioux Falls Stampede and a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final Friday night at the Viaero Event Center.

Tri-City also got goals from defenseman Bobby Nardella and forward Nick Master in the win, while goaltender Alec Dillon stopped 27 shots to earn his fourth playoff victory.
Nardella opened the scoring for Tri-City with a power play strike at 7:02 of the first to give the Storm a 1-0 lead. The Notre Dame commit used a wrist shot to beat Sioux Falls goaltender Stefanos Lekkas. Assists on the goal were credited to forwards Chris Wilkie and Mason Appleton.

The Stampede got even at 1-1 in the final moments of the period, when Logan O’Connor scored a breakaway goal with just two seconds left.

But Tri-City took control of the game in the middle frame, scoring twice in less than two minutes. First, Master took advantage when Lekkas was missing his stick, scoring on a one-timer off a pass from Garrett Gamez for his first goal of the playoffs. Nardella picked up the second assist on the play.

Then Berger got his first of the night to make it 3-1 Storm, scoring on his own rebound with assists from Dan Labosky and Mattias Goransson.

Berger got his second tally unassisted at 8:14 of the third to make it 4-1, deflecting a Sioux Falls pass past Lekkas while Tri-City was on the power play.

Sioux Falls forward Kieffer Bellows scored with 32 seconds left to make it a 4-2 game, but the Stampede ran out of time in their comeback attempt.

Lekkas made 24 saves for his team in defeat, while Sioux Falls outshot Tri-City 29-28 on the night.
Game 2 of the series will be played Saturday night in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag and Nolan Aibel, along with defenseman Jason Krych…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (power play) (Chris Wilkie, Mason Appleton) 7:02
Sioux Falls – Logan O’Connor (Mikey Eyssimont) 19:58

2nd Period

Tri-City – Nick Master (Garrett Gamez, Bobby Nardella) 15:21
Tri-City – Chase Berger (Dan Labosky, Mattias Goransson) 17:12

 

3rd Period
Tri-City – Chase Berger (power play) (unassisted) 8:14
Sioux Falls – Kieffer Bellows (extra attacker) (Cooper Marody) 19:28

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Holding), 2 min, 1:17
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella – (Hooking), 2 min, 2:54
Sioux Falls – Lukas Buchta – (Holding), 2 min, 6:28
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Roughing), 2 min, 13:45
Sioux Falls – Matt Nuttle – (Hooking), 2 min, 15:46

2nd Period
Sioux Falls – Cooper Marody – (High Sticking), 2 min, 0:11
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez – (Interference), 2 min, 0:29
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 7:16

3rd Period
Sioux City – Kieffer Bellows – (Elbowing), 2 min, 6:36
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Elbowing), 2 min, 15:13

Power Play

Sioux Falls – 0/6

Tri-City – 2/4

Shots

Sioux Falls: 9, 10, 10 = Total: 29
Tri-City: 13, 6, 9 = Total: 28

Saves
Sioux Falls – Stefanos Lekkas – 24/28
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 27/29

DES MOINES, Ia. – The Tri-City Storm (37-17-6) closed the 2014-15 regular season with a 5-2 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers (21-26-13) on Saturday night at Buccaneer Arena.

Jake Wahlin and Dan Labosky each scored twice in the victory, while affiliate forward Austen Long notched his first USHL goal.

Tri-City will battle the Omaha Lancers in the opening round of the playoffs. Game 1 will take place in Omaha on Tuesday night before the Storm host games 2, 3 and 5.

After a scoreless first period, the Storm took the lead on Wahlin’s first goal of the night 19 seconds into the middle frame. Assists on the goal were given to both Kevin Kerr and Chris Wilkie.

Then Labosky added his first tally of the night four minutes later to make it 2-0 Tri-City.

The Buccaneers cut the lead to 2-1 with a goal by Ryan Dmowski less than a minute later at 4:55.

Before the end of the second, Wahlin scored his second of the night from Wilkie and Nolan Aibel. Both goals by the forward came on rebounds in front.

Joe Lappin scored for Des Moines at 3:06 of the third to make it 3-2, but Tri-City picked up two insurance goals late in the game.

The first came from Long, with assists from Cody Milan and affiliate Carson Meyer at 10:53.

Then Labosky got his second of the game on a broken play in front of the Bucs’ net at 12:06.

Jared Rutledge earned the win for Tri-City in net, making 33 stops while Ryland Pashovitz had 40 saves in the loss for Des Moines.

The Storm won the season series with the Buccaneers, recording a victory in five of the six meetings this season.

Tri-City opens up the 2015 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs in Omaha against the Lancers with Game 1 on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag, Nick Master, Joel Herbert, Kyle Eastman, Garrett Gamez, Conner Valesano and Mason Appleton along with defensemen Bobby Nardella and Mattias Goransson…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Kevin Kerr, Chris Wilkie) 0:19
Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Vince Pedrie, Chase Berger) 4:27
Des Moines – Ryan Dmowski – (Ara Nazarian, Georgy Gorodetsky) 4:55
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Chris Wilkie, Nolan Aibel) 12:36

 

3rd Period
Des Moines – Joe Lappin (Tanner Karty, Ryan Dmowski) 3:06
Tri-City – Austen Long (Cody Milan, Carson Meyer) 10:53
Tri-City – Dan Labosky (Chase Berger, Kevin Kerr) 12:06

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Holding), 2 min, 15:23

2nd Period
Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (High Sticking), 2 min, 12:42
Des Moines – Alec Rauhauser – (Tripping), 2 min, 13:30
Des Moines – Alec Rauhauser – (Head Contact), 2 min, 19:15
Tri-City – Vince Pedrie – (Roughing), 2 min, 19:15
Des Moines – Nicky Wolff – (Continuing Altercation) (Misconduct), 10 min, 19:15

3rd Period
Des Moines – Brennan Sanford – (Slashing), 2 min, 12:22
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 12:22
Des Moines – Tanner Karty – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:28

Power Play

Tri-City – 0/2

Des Moines – 0/2

Shots

Tri-City: 14, 18, 13 = Total: 45
Des Moines: 7, 14, 14 = Total: 35

Saves
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 33/35
Des Moines – Ryland Pashovitz – 40/45

KEARNEY, Neb. – The USHL announced the seeding and schedule for the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs Saturday. The second-seeded Tri-City Storm will take on the third-seeded Omaha Lancers in a best-of-five series starting on Tuesday night at the Ralston Arena.

Tri-City will return home for Games 2 & 3 of the series on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets for those two games are on sale now at the Viaero Event Center Box Office and can be purchased in person, online at stormhockey.com, or over the phone by calling 308.338.8011.

The full schedule for the series can be found below.

The teams’ most recent playoff meeting came in 2010, with the Lancers advancing after winning a best-of-five series 3-0. During the 2014-15 regular season, Tri-City went 4-2-2 against Omaha.

Cunningham’s Journal in Kearney will host official watch parties for all road playoff games, beginning on Tuesday night.

Fans that purchased the ‘Pay As We Play’ ticket package can now pick up their tickets at the Viaero Event Center Box Office. Box Office hours are from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.Monday–Friday.

The Storm finish up its regular season schedule on Saturday night in Des Moines, taking on the Buccaneers at 7:05 p.m.

#2 Tri-City Storm vs. #3 Omaha Lancers

Game 1: Tuesday, April 14^th, 7:05 PM – Tri-City @ Omaha (Cunningham’s Journal)

Game 2: Thursday, April 16^th, 7:05 PM – Omaha @ Tri-City (Viaero Event Center)

Game 3: Saturday, April 18^th, 7:05 PM – Omaha @ Tri-City (Viaero Event Center)

Game 4: Sunday, April 19^th, 7:05 PM – Tri-City @ Omaha** (Cunningham’s Journal)

Game 5: Tuesday, April 21^st, 7:05 PM – Omaha @ Tri-City** (Viaero Event Center)

** – If Necessary

DUBUQUE, Ia. – Three power play goals were enough for the Dubuque Fighting Saints to defeat the Tri-City Storm (36-17-6) 4-1 on Friday night at the Mystique Community Ice Center.

Forward Chris Wilkie scored his USHL league leading 35th goal of the season on the power play, while goaltender Alec Dillon made 28 saves in the loss.

With the loss, the Storm are solidified in second place in the Western Conference. Tri-City will battle the Omaha Lancers in the opening round of the playoffs. Game 1 will take place in Omaha on Tuesday night before the Storm host games 2, 3 and 5.

Dubuque defenseman Keegan Ford scored the only goal of the first period on the power play at 16:05 on a wrist shot from the right point.

The Fighting Saints increased their lead to 2-0 on another power play goal by Seamus Malone at 10:24 of the second. Malone found a rebound in front off a shot by Ford, and scored his first goal of the night.

Tri-City cut the lead in half late in the middle period when Wilkie scored the only Storm goal of the evening on the power play at 18:58. The tally came off a face-off win by forward Cody Milan. Milan got the puck back to defenseman Bobby Nardella on the left point and a quick pass found Wilkie open for the goal on a shot over Dubuque goaltender Jacob Nehama’s glove.

Wilkie’s 35 goals have tied the Storm’s single season record set by Rastislav Spirko during the 2003-04 season. He also broke the record for most power play goals in a season by a Storm skater with 17 tallies. The record was set by current NHL forward Jaden Schwartz of the St. Louis Blues.

But Dubuque got their third power play goal of the night from forward Jacob Benson to make it 3-1 at 7:40 of the third and added an empty net tally from Malone to seal the win. The final goal was Malone’s second of the night.

The Storm finish up their its regular season schedule on Saturday night in Des Moines, taking on the Buccaneers at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag, Nick Master and Mason Appleton along with defenseman Jason Krych…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Dubuque – Keegan Ford (power play) (Willie Knierim, Robby Jackson) 16:05

2nd Period

Dubuque – Seamus Malone (power play) (Keegan Ford, Dylan Gambrell) 10:24
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Bobby Nardella, Cody Milan) 18:58

 

3rd Period
Dubuque – Jacob Benson (power play) (Seamus Malone, Dylan Gambrell) 7:40
Dubuque – Seamus Malone (empty net) (Nate Sucese) 17:24

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Wade Allison – (High Sticking), 2 min, 14:07

2nd Period
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 10:02
Dubuque – Keegan Ford – (Roughing) (Double Minor), 4 min, 14:34
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Roughing), 2 min, 14:34
Dubuque – Andrew Kerr – (Roughing), 2 min, 18:53

3rd Period
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella – (Hooking), 2 min, 7:29

Power Play

Tri-City – 1/2

Dubuque – 3/3

Shots

Tri-City: 5, 12, 6 = Total: 23
Dubuque: 8, 12, 12 = Total: 32

Saves
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 28/31
Dubuque – Jacob Nehama – 22/23