DUBUQUE, Ia. – The 2015 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m. will be streamed live and free of charge by FASTHockey, the league’s online broadcast partner.

Storm broadcaster Jared Shafran will appear as part of the live coverage during the broadcast, acting as a rinkside reporter throughout the night.

Shafran is in his third season as the radio voice of the Storm and has called the action for more than 150 USHL contests on the team’s radio partner, The Breeze 94.5 FM. He has previously been involved with league events as he was a studio host for the 2014 USHL Draft show, and provided on-air coverage of USHL players that were selected during the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia. Shafran is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston.

Three Tri-City Storm skaters were among the 40 players chosen to take part in the game, including defenseman Tory Dello and forwards Matthew Freytag and Chris Wilkie. All three will play for “Team West” in the contest.

It is the third time the league will conduct the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, which will showcase many of the top players in the USHL who are eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft in Sunrise, Fla. June 26-27. The USHL set a record in 2014, seeing 35 players from the 2013-14 season selected by NHL clubs.

Fans can visit FASTHockey.com to access the free broadcast.

Tri-City will head to Bloomington this weekend for their first ever games with the Thunder. Saturday’s game starts at 7:05 p.m., while Sunday’s game begins at 3:00.

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (16-10-5) completed a weekend sweep of the Waterloo Black Hakws (9-19-3) on Saturday night with a 3-2 win in front of 3,021 fans at the Viaero Event Center.

Wade Allison scored the game-winning goal for Tri-City in the third period, while Chase Berger and Jake Wahlin added tallies in the first period. Storm goaltender Jared Rutledge made 33 saves in the game to earn his third win in a Tri-City sweater.

Allison now has three goals on the season in 14 games. All three have come at home in Kearney, and all have turned out to be game-winners.

For the second consecutive night, the Black Hawks scored on the first shot of the game, as forward Henrik Rommel got his fourth goal of the year from Tyler Sheehy.

The Storm got even at 1-1 when Berger found the back of the net for the fifth time this season. Berger’s goal came on a rebound in front and was assisted by forward Matthew Freytag and defenseman Tory Dello.

Tri-City then took the lead on a goal by Wahlin at 11:32 of the opening period. Wahlin also scored on a rebound, with assists given to Nolan Aibel and Conner Valesano.

The score stayed 2-1 through the second period, as neither team was able to strike in the middle frame, while Tri-City outshot Waterloo 16-11.

In the third, Allison gave Tri-City an insurance goal at 4:54 which turned out to be the game-winner. The Myrtle, Man. native ripped off a wrist shot that beat Waterloo goaltender Trevor Gorsuch to make it 3-1. Freytag and Nick Master picked up assists on the tally.

Waterloo made it a one-goal game on a late tally by center Tom Novak at 14:32 of the third, but their comeback fell short.

The Black Hawks outshot Tri-City 35-30 in the contest.

The Storm are now in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with Des Moines.

Tri-City heads to Bloomington next weekend for their first ever games with the Thunder on Saturday and Sunday Jan. 17-18. Saturday’s game starts at7:05 p.m., while Sunday’s game begins at 3:00.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Kyle Eastman along with defenseman Cameron Spicer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Waterloo – Henrik Rommel (power play) (Tyler Sheehy) 1:11
Tri-City – Chase Berger (power play) (Matthew Freytag, Tory Dello) 5:30
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Conner Valesano, Nolan Aibel) 11:32

2nd Period

(no scoring)

3rd Period
Tri-City – Wade Allison (Matthew Freytag, Nick Master) 4:54
Waterloo – Tom Novak (Hayden Shaw) 14:32

PENALTIES

1st Period
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Hooking), 2 min, 0:26
Waterloo – Tyler Sheehy – (Holding), 2 min, 3:45
Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Head Contact), 2 min, 8:24
Waterloo – Sam Rossini – (Interference), 2 min, 12:26
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Holding), 2 min, 12:26

2nd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (High Sticking), 2 min, 5:14
Waterloo – Ethan Spaxman – (Holding), 2 min, 6:37
Waterloo – Alex Robert – (Interference), 2 min, 12:06

3rd Period
Waterloo – Rem Pitlick – (Tripping), 2 min, 11:10

Power Play

Waterloo – 1/3

Tri-City – 1/4

Shots

Waterloo: 13, 11, 11 = Total: 35
Tri-City: 8, 16, 6 = Total: 30

Saves
Waterloo – Trevor Gorsuch – 27/30
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 33/35

KEARNEY, Neb. – Chris Wilkie scored three times to record his first USHL hat trick and break a three game regulation losing streak in a 5-3 Tri-City Storm (15-10-5) victory over the Waterloo Black Hawks (9-18-3) on Friday night at the Viaero Event Center.

Wilkie now has 20 goals on the season, which leads the USHL. Two of his tallies came on the power play, and he now has 11 power play goals, which is tied for the league lead. The hat trick was the 24th in team history.

Both Dan Labosky and Matthew Freytag also scored for Tri-City, while netminder Alec Dillon made 20 saves to record his 12th win of the season.

Waterloo got off to a quick start, scoring on their first shot of the game at 1:22 of the opening period to make it 1-0. Defenseman Phil Beaulieu was credited with his 7th tally of the season.

But Tri-City got even just minutes later when Wilkie scored his first of the night on the power play. Assists went to Nick Master and Bobby Nardella.

Later in the period, while the Storm were killing a holding penalty to Cody Milan, Labosky got a steal at center ice and raced in alone on a breakaway. The Edina, Minn. native slipped a backhanded shot under Waterloo goalie Trevor Gorsuch for the team’s third short-handed strike of the season and made it 2-1 Tri-City.

The Storm pushed their lead to 3-1 in the second on Wilkie’s second of the night, which came unassisted at 7:30.

Tri-City held their lead for most of the middle frame, but the Black Hawks converted on the power play late in the period to cut the game to 3-2. Defenseman Hayden Shaw scored the goal, and got his first tally of the season.

Then early on in the third, Tom Novak evened the game at 3-3 with a power play goal just 4:04 into the final frame.

But the Storm re-took the lead less than three minutes later when Freytag converted with the second Tri-City power play goal of the evening. Freytag’s sixth of the season was assisted by Cody Milan and Mason Appleton.

In the final minutes, Wilkie completed the hat trick and sealed the victory with the squad’s third power play goal of the game. Labosky recorded his second point of the game with the first assist, while Chase Berger got his 10th assist of the season with the secondary helper.

The Storm finish their weekend series with Waterloo on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Kyle Eastman along with defenseman Cameron Spicer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Waterloo – Phil Beaulieu (unassisted) 1:22
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Nick Master, Bobby Nardella) 4:51
Tri-City – Dan Labosky (short-handed) (unassisted) 11:57

2nd Period

Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (unassisted) 7:30
Waterloo – Hayden Shaw (power play) (Tyler Sheehy, Henrik Rommel) 16:53

3rd Period
Waterloo – Tom Novak (power play) (Henrik Rommel) 4:04
Tri-City – Matthew Freytag (power play) (Cody Milan, Mason Appleton) 6:49
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Dan Labosky, Chase Berger) 19:17

PENALTIES

1st Period

Waterloo – John Wiitala – (Hooking), 2 min, 4:22
Waterloo – Rem Pitlick – (Hooking), 2 min, 7:31
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Holding), 2 min, 11:31

2nd Period

Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Tripping), 2 min, 4:56
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – (Roughing), 2 min, 8:10
Waterloo – Sam Rossini – (Tripping), 2 min, 14:17
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Tripping), 2 min, 16:40

3rd Period

Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (Tripping), 2 min, 3:57
Waterloo – Rem Pitlick – (Tripping), 2 min, 6:05
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (High Sticking), 2 min, 11:39
Waterloo – Niko Hildenbrand – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 18:51
Waterloo – Niko Hildenbrand – (Checking From Behind) (Misconduct), 10 min, 18:51

Power Play

Waterloo – 2/6

Tri-City – 3/5

Shots

Waterloo: 7, 7, 9 = Total: 23
Tri-City: 12, 9, 6 = Total: 27

Saves
Waterloo – Trevor Gorsuch – 22/27
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 20/23

KEARNEY, Neb. – This week the Tri-City Storm will be helping the Salvation Army food pantry in Hastings collect donations, and have planned an outdoor skating event to take place in Libs Park from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Various Storm players will partake in a hockey exhibition during the first part of the skate, before opening things up for a public skate.

The team asks that fans who attend bring food donations for the Salvation Army food pantry. The pantry is critically low, with bare shelves and freezers empty of meat.

Food needs include: Canned meats, i.e., tuna, spam, etc., hamburger meat (preferably in one pound tubes), hamburger helper, macaroni and cheese, soups, and stews. Other non-perishable items will also be accepted.

Tri-City is teaming up with NBC Nebraska’s Tim Jones and Taylor Kilgore for the event, as well as the team’s radio partner, Platte River Radio.

Jones and Kilgore will broadcast live from the park during their 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.

In addition, the Viaero Event Center will serve as a collection site for food donations during the team’s upcoming home games on Jan. 9 & 10 against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Fans planning on attending either game are encouraged to bring a donation to support the food pantry.

Friday’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s puck drop is scheduled for 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.