KEARNEY, Neb. – Unable to hold a two-goal lead in the third, the Tri-City Storm (13-7-3) needed a shootout to complete a 3-2 win and sweep the Youngstown Phantoms (12-7-5), on Saturday afternoon at the Viaero Event Center.

Storm goals were scored by defenseman Kevin Kerr and forward Jake Wahlin, while Dan Labosky and Mason Appleton converted in the shootout.

Tri-City netminder Jared Rutledge made 31 saves and stopped 3-of-4 in the shootout to record a victory in his first game with the Storm.

Neither team was able to score in the opening frame, but Tri-City outshot the Phantoms 13-8 through the first 20 minutes.

The Storm finally broke through in the final two minutes of the second, when forward Wade Allison found Kerr who joined the rush and beat Youngstown goaltender Chris Birdsall.

The goal unleashed the Teddy Bear Toss at the Viaero Event Center and brought a crowd of 3,425 to life.

19 seconds later, Tri-City made it 2-0 when Wahlin banked a rebound off Birdsall into the net. Cody Milan brought the puck into the Youngstown end but fanned on a shot attempt. The puck bounced off the endboards right to Wahlin, who scored his third goal of the season.

In the third, Youngstown was able to tie the game and force overtime, getting goals from defenseman Matt Miller and forward Josh Melnick.

Without a winner in the extra five minute period, the teams went to a shootout.

Maxim Letunov scored for Youngstown in the first round to give the Phantoms the early lead in the skill session. After missed attempts by Wilkie and Milan, Labosky scored in the third round on a do-or-die attempt to force a fourth round.

Rutledge stopped Kiefer Sherwood in the fourth, giving Appleton the opening to seal a win for the Storm.

Tri-City has now won four consecutive games and has 29 points, sitting in second in the USHL’s Western Conference. The Storm have also won four straight against Youngstown, and have a record of 4-2 in the shootout during the 2014-15 season.

Just one game remains on the schedule before the league’s holiday break. Tri-City will be in Omaha to face the Lancers on Friday night at 7:35 p.m.

The Storm return to the Viaero Event Center on Dec. 27 to face Sioux City at 3:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Kyle Eastman along with defenseman Bobby Nardella. Forward Joel Herbert was also scratched, serving a league suspension…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Kevin Kerr (Wade Allison, Conner Valesano) 18:31
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Cody Milan, Chase Berger) 18:50

3rd Period

Youngstown – Matt Miller (Matt Alvaro, Kiefer Sherwood) 5:56
Youngstown – Josh Melnick (Maxim Letunov) 11:29

Overtime
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 5:30
Youngstown – Chase Pearson – (Interference), 2 min, 6:33
Youngstown – Lukas Craggs – (Elbowing), 2 min, 18:27

2nd Period

Tri-City – Mason Appleton – (Interference), 2 min, 0:33
Youngstown – Lukas Craggs – (High Sticking), 2 min, 2:54
Youngstown – Kevin Conley – (Interference), 2 min, 10:08
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Diving), 2 min, 10:08
Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 11:55

3rd Period

Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Boarding), 2 min, 7:30

Overtime
(no penalties)

Power Play

Youngstown – 0/4

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Youngstown: 8, 11, 13, 1 = Total: 33
Tri-City: 13, 10, 5, 4 = Total: 32

Saves

Youngstown – Chris Birdsall – 30/32
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 31/33

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm’s first line of Nick Master, Dan Labosky and Chris Wilkie combined for 10 points and were the difference on Friday night in a 5-3 victory over the Youngstown Phantoms at the Viaero Event Center.

Master led the way with a hat trick, while Labosky had a goal and assists on all of Master’s tallies. Wilkie had a goal in the second period, as well as two assists.

Tri-City didn’t take long to strike and Master gave his team a 1-0 lead with his first tally of the evening at 1:15. Wilkie got the puck to the center in front of the net and the Broomall, Penn. native was in the perfect spot, allowing the puck to bounce into the net off his skate. Labosky picked up the second assist on the goal.

Less than a minute later however, the Phantoms tied the game on Maxim Letunov’s 12th goal of the year from Kiefer Sherwood.

Youngstown took a lead at 7:24 of the opening period when Sherwood scored his first of the night to make it 2-1.

In the middle period, Tri-City scored twice in just over four minutes to retake the lead. First, while killing a penalty to Joel Herbert, Labosky found the back of the net for the first time this season in his third game back with the team. Conner Valesano moved the puck up ice and created the chance before Labosky hustled to the rebound and beat Youngstown goaltender Chris Birdsall.

Then, just over two minutes later, Wilkie deflected a Mason Appleton shot past Birdsall for his 13th goal of the year. Defenseman Kevin Kerr was given the third assist on the tally that gave Tri-City a 3-2 lead.

Sherwood re-tied the game at 6:02 of the period with his second goal of the night and the game entered the third period tied at 3-3.

On his first shift of the final period, Master scored twice to complete the hat trick, giving Tri-City the first two-goal advantage of the night.

Labosky had the first assist on both goals, setting Master up in front of the net to earn his second and third assists on the night.

The hat trick is the 23rd in Tri-City Storm history, and the first since forward Joel L’Esperance scored three against Youngstown a year ago on Dec. 13, 2013.

Tri-City outshot Youngstown 31-21 in the game. Storm netminder Alec Dillon made 18 saves to earn the win.

The two teams will battle once more on Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. to complete their season series.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez, Kyle Eastman, and Chase Berger along with defenseman Bobby Nardella…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Nick Master (Chris Wilkie, Dan Labosky) 1:15
Youngstown – Maxim Letunov (Kiefer Sherwood) 2:06
Youngstown – Kiefer Sherwood (Josh Melnick, Kris Myllari) 7:24

2nd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky (short-handed) (Conner Valesano) 1:49
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Mason Appleton, Kevin Kerr) 4:04
Youngstown – Kiefer Sherwood (Maxim Letunov) 6:02

3rd Period
Tri-City – Nick Master (Dan Labosky, Chris Wilkie) 1:11
Tri-City – Nick Master (Dan Labosky, Kevin Kerr) 1:42

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Gordi Myer – (Interference), 2 min, 3:06
Youngstown – Bryan Lemos – (Hooking), 2 min, 9:43
Youngstown – Maxim Letunov – (High Sticking), 2 min, 14:43
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:20

2nd Period

Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (Head Contact) 2 min, 0:18
Youngstown – Tommy Parran – (Hooking), 2 min, 8:35
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Charging), 2 min, 8:35
Youngstown – Ryan Lomberg – (Head Contact), 2 min, 13:32
Youngstown – Taylor Best – (Roughing), 2 min, 16:54
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Slashing), 2 min, 16:54

3rd Period

(no scoring)

Power Play

Youngstown – 0/3

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Youngstown: 10, 3, 8 = Total: 30
Tri-City: 9, 15, 7 = Total: 31

Saves
Youngstown – Chris Birdsall – 26/31
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 18/21

KEARNEY, Neb. – Wade Allison’s first USHL goal turned out to be the game-winner for the Tri-City Storm (11-7-3) on Tuesday night in a 2-1 victory over the Lincoln Stars (6-11-3) at the Viaero Event Center.

Defenseman Bobby Nardella factored in both of the Tri-City goals, scoring the first at 10:19 of the second period before assisting on Allison’s winning tally less than two minutes later.

Storm netminder Alec Dillon picked up his 10th win of the year, making 29 saves. The Victoria, B.C. native allowed just one goal for the second consecutive game, after holding Dubuque to a single tally on Saturday night.

The game was scoreless through the first 20 minutes, but Tri-City limited Lincoln’s opportunities, controlling puck possession while outshooting the Stars 11-5.

In the second, Lincoln took an initial 1-0 lead on Chris Dodero’s first tally of the season at 10:10.

However just 19 seconds later, Tri-City responded with Nardella’s third strike of the year.

After the game, Storm head coach Jim Hulton called the goal a turning point for his team, and gave the squad a renewed energy.

Less than two minutes later, Tri-City took the lead on Allison’s tally. While Nardella had the second assist, forward Joel Herbert got the puck directly to the Western Michigan commit, picking up his third helper of the year.

Lincoln netminder Cam Hackett made 28 saves for the Stars in the loss.

The Storm now continue their home stretch with a weekend series against the Youngstown Phantoms. Friday’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s contest starts at 3:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Nolan Aibel along with defenseman Gordi Myer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Lincoln – Chris Dodero (August VonUngern Sternberg, Biagio Lerario) 10:10
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (unassisted) 10:29
Tri-City – Wade Allison (Joel Herbert, Bobby Nardella) 13:10

3rd Period

(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Nick Master – (Hooking), 2 min, 17:31

2nd Period

(no penalties)

3rd Period

Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Roughing), 2 min, 5:09
Lincoln – Miguel Fidler – (Slashing), 2 min, 6:05
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Holding), 2 min, 16:58
Tri-City – Jim Hulton – (Abuse of Officials) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00

Power Play

Lincoln – 0/3

Tri-City – 0/1

Shots

Lincoln: 5, 15, 10 = Total: 30
Tri-City: 11, 14, 5 = Total: 30

Saves
Lincoln – Cam Hackett – 28/30
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 29/30

KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm Head Coach Jim Hulton announced the acquisition of goaltender Jared Rutledge from the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Tuesday in exchange for goaltender Blake Weyrick.

Rutledge is no stranger to the USHL, having played in a total of 81 contests over four seasons with both Team USA and the Green Bay Gamblers.

Last season, Rutledge appeared in 45 regular season games for Green Bay, mounting a record of 25-16-4 with a goals against average of 2.77 and a save percentage at .907.

A big part of the team’s success down the stretch, Rutledge helped the Gamblers secure a spot in the 2014 Clark Cup playoffs and started all of the team’s four postseason games in the opening round. In the final two playoff games, both 1-0 losses, Rutledge made a total of 52 saves while attempting to keep his team in the series.

The Skokie, Ill. native played for the United States National Team Development Program for two seasons from 2010-12, before joining the University of Michigan Wolverines for the 2012-13 season. Rutledge saw action in 10 games at the NCAA level, but decided to return to the USHL with Green Bay the following year.

“With Jared we know we’re acquiring a guy who has been a veteran of not only our league but also of Team USA and Michigan,” Hulton said. “I think the thing that impressed us was his experience as a starter last year for Green Bay and his playoff experience. We think that’s going to be important heading down the road. It was a concern of ours to have two goalies of the same age, both lacking playoff experience.”

Rutledge was traded to Janesville by the Gamblers on Oct. 28. In six NAHL games, the netminder had a 4-2-0 record with a GAA of 1.99 and a save percentage at .919.

“Blake is a terrific young man with a bright future,” Hulton said of Weyrick. “He was an outstanding teammate and worked very hard for us here. We’re hoping that this opportunity allows him to become a No. 1 goaltender and fulfill his dream of getting a scholarship.”

The Storm will battle the Lincoln Stars at the Viaero Event Center tonight at 7:05 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.

KEARNEY, Neb. – After wrapping up a four-game road stretch with their first win in Dubuque since the 2000-01 season, the Tri-City Storm are back in Kearney and will host three home games during the upcoming week.

Tri-City will see division-rival Lincoln on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m., before the Youngstown Phantoms come to town for a weekend series on Fridayand Saturday.

The Storm are 1-0 against the Stars this season, having defeated them 4-3 at the Ice Box in Lincoln on Sept. 26.

Friday’s game will be one day short of a full calendar year since Tri-City and Youngstown met at the Viaero Event Center. On Dec. 13, 2013, the Storm defeated the Phantoms 6-5 in overtime, before finishing a sweep the next day with a 3-1 victory.

Former Storm forward Joel L’Esperance was the hero of the weekend, scoring a hat trick in the first contest that included the game-winner in overtime, before adding two more goals in Saturday’s matinee.

Through 20 games this season, Tri-City has been led offensively by Chris Wilkie, who has 12 goals and five assists. Forward Jake Wahlin has been Wilkie’s main playmaker, as he leads the team with 13 assists. Defenseman Bobby Nardella has provided an offensive spark from the back end, leading the blueline corps with 14 points.

Goaltender Alec Dillon has shouldered most of the load between the pipes, posting a record of 9-4-2 with a goals against average of 2.14 and a save percentage at .923.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.