DUBUQUE, Ia. – Alec Dillon’s 42 saves kept the Tri-City Storm (10-7-3) ahead in a scoreless third period for a 2-1 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints (13-7-1) on Saturday night at the Mystique Community Ice Center.

Storm forwards Matthew Freytag and Chris Wilkie each scored a power play goal, helping the top power play in the USHL to continue producing with the man-advantage.

Dubuque outshot Tri-City 43-24 in the game and had many grade A chances through the first two periods, but Dillon was seeing the puck well and was on top of his game.

The Fighting Saints scored early to take a 1-0 lead 3:15 into the opening period. Jacob Benson found the back of the net for his second of the year.

Tri-City tied things up late in the frame when Freytag scored his fifth goal of the season on the power play. Center Mason Appleton found the winger in the low slot and picked up the first assist, while forward Dan Labosky was credited with the second helper on the play.

Labosky was playing in his first game of the season for Tri-City, after leaving college and re-joining the team earlier in the week.

The teams combined for 54 minutes of penalties in the opening period, including a fight between Benson and Storm defenseman Jalen Schulz, as well as a misconduct to forward Cody Milan for checking from behind.

In the middle frame, Wilkie converted for his seventh power play goal of the season at 6:21 to give Tri-City a 2-1 lead. Overall, it was Wilkie’s 12th tally of the season which leads the team.

Assists on the goal were given to both Jake Wahlin and Bobby Nardella.

Both teams held each other off the scoreboard in the final period. After 33 penalty minutes in the opening frame, Tri-City had just one minor penalty in the remainder of the game, and limited Dubuque’s chances in the final minutes.

Tri-City picks up their tenth win of the year, and is in third place in the USHL’s Western Conference standings.

The Storm return to the Viaero Event Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9 in a matchup with the Lincoln Stars at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Wade Allison along with defenseman Gordi Myer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Dubuque – Jacob Benson (Spenser Young, Mitchell Smith) 3:15
Tri-City – Matthew Freytag (power play) (Mason Appleton, Daniel Labosky) 16:10

2nd Period

Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Jake Wahlin, Bobby Nardella) 6:21

3rd Period
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (Interference), 2 min, 0:29
Dubuque – Jacob Benson – (Fighting) (Instigator), 2 min, 5:44
Dubuque – Jacob Benson – (Fighting), 5 min, 5:44
Dubuque – Jacob Benson – (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 5:44
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting), 5 min, 5:44
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 5:44
Tri-City – Cameron Spicer – (High Sticking), 2 min, 8:23
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 9:07
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Checking From Behind) (Misconduct), 10 min, 9:07
Dubuque – Brett Boeing – (Slashing), 2 min, 10:23
Dubuque – Brett Boeing – (Charging), 2 min, 14:56
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Kneeing), 2 min, 17:08

2nd Period

Dubuque – Andrew Kerr – (Tripping), 2 min, 4:57
Nolan Aibel – (High Sticking), 2 min, 11:00

3rd Period

Dubuque – Andrew Kerr – (Elbowing), 2 min, 3:19
Dubuque – Nate Sucese – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 10:46

Power Play

Tri-City – 2/6

Dubuque – 0/5

Shots

Tri-City: 6, 9, 9 = Total: 24
Dubuque: 20, 15, 8 = Total: 43

Saves
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 42/43
Dubuque – Jacob Nehama – 22/24

KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm Head Coach Jim Hulton announced a roster move Thursday, adding forward Dan Labosky, who has decided to return to the USHL for the remainder of the 2014-15 season.

The forward played in 59 games for Tri-City last season and finished third on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 22 assists. Labosky also had 10 power play points and two game-winning goals.

“I’m excited to get back into it,” Labosky said. “I loved playing for Coach Hulton and Coach Bittner last year and I have a lot of good buddies on the team.”

A native of Edina, Minn., Labosky played two games this season as a freshman with Colorado College.

“I think both parties are very happy to reunite,” Hulton said. “It’s a bonus for us. We get a veteran guy who instantly helps our overall speed, our offensive game and our penalty kill, which are some of the areas we need to address. For him, he gets to come in with a chip on his shoulder and maybe forge a new path.”

Hulton said he got wind of the potential to bring Labosky back last week, so he reached out and made the offer.

“It was ultimately Dan’s decision,” Hulton said. “Sometimes when you leave a bad situation and come back to an old situation you appreciate it a lot more. One of the first things Dan said to me was that he has a big chip on his shoulder and he wants to prove people wrong. Selfishly as a coach that puts a smile on your face because that’s a built in incentive for the player and that translates itself down into the team.”

In a corresponding move, the Storm have traded forward Chase Hatcher’s rights to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

Labosky expects to be in the lineup in Dubuque this Saturday night when Tri-City takes on the Fighting Saints at 7:05 p.m.

The Storm return to the Viaero Event Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9 to battle the Lincoln Stars.

OMAHA, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (9-7-3) failed to dig themselves out of an early hole and fell 4-2 to the Omaha Lancers (7-7-3) on Saturday night at the Ralston Arena.

Joel Herbert and Chris Wilkie each scored in the third period for Tri-City, while goaltender Alec Dillon returned to the lineup and made 18 saves.

Both teams had lots of chances early in the game, but there was no scoring in the opening period. Omaha netminder Hayden Hawkey got the start, but was forced to leave the game with an injury and was replaced by Kris Oldham.

The Lancers took control of the game with two goals in under a minute late in the second period. First, Drew Best scored on a short-handed breakaway, before Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson made it 2-0 just 34 seconds later at 17:22.

Omaha made it 3-0 early in the third period with a power play goal from Shane Gersich at 2:49.

Later in the frame, Herbert got the Storm on the board with his third tally of the year. Nick Master found the big forward in front, while Kyle Eastman picked up the second assist on the team’s first goal of the night.

Tri-City then made it a one-goal game when Wilkie found the back of the net on the power play at 14:34 of the final period. The goal was the Omaha native’s 11th of the season, and came with assists from defensemen Bobby Nardella and Mattias Goransson.

The Storm had a few chances to tie the game in the closing minutes, but couldn’t close the gap. Lancers’ forward Louie Rowe made it 4-2 with an empty net goal in the final minute of the game.

Oldham recorded the win in between the pipes for Omaha, making 13 saves in relief. The Lancers outshot the Storm 22-20 on the night.

Tri-City is back in action next Saturday in Dubuque against the Fighting Saints at 7:05 p.m. The Storm return to the Viaero Event Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9 in a matchup with the Lincoln Stars at 7:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Conner Valesano along with defenseman Cameron Spicer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Omaha – Drew Best (short-handed) (Anthony Angello) 16:48
Omaha – Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson (Jimmy Schuldt, Cal Foote) 17:22

3rd Period
Omaha – Shane Gersich (power play) (Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Brendan Smith) 2:49
Tri-City – Joel Herbert (Nick Master, Kyle Eastman) 12:25
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Bobby Nardella, Mattias Goransson) 14:34
Omaha – Louie Rowe (empty net) (Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Jake Henderson) 19:41

PENALTIES

1st Period

Omaha – Louie Rowe – (Roughing), 2 min, 11:37
Tri-City – Gordi Myer – (Roughing), 2 min, 11:37
Omaha – Jimmy Schuldt – (Slashing), 2 min, 11:47
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:16
Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (High Sticking), 2 min, 19:59

2nd Period

Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Interference), 2 min, 7:13
Omaha – Jake Gingell – (High Sticking), 2 min, 15:01
Omaha – Drew Best – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:41

3rd Period

Tri-City – Kevin Kerr – (High Sticking), 2 min, 2:38
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Roughing), 2 min, 3:56
Omaha – Louie Rowe – (Roughing), 2 min, 3:56
Omaha – Michael Wilson – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 14:19

Power Play

Tri-City – 1/4

Omaha – 1/4

Shots

Tri-City: 6, 7, 7 = Total: 20
Omaha: 8, 8, 6 = Total: 22

Saves
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 18/21
Omaha – Hayden Hawkey – 5/5, Kris Oldham – 13/15

DES MOINES, Ia. – A slow start came back to haunt the Tri-City Storm (9-6-3) on Wednesday night at Buccaneer Arena, as the Des Moines Buccaneers (10-6-2) hung on to win 4-3 and move back into second place in the Western Conference standings.

Storm forward Mason Appleton had a goal and an assist in the loss, while captain Garrett Gamez scored his seventh tally of the season and defenseman Mattias Goransson had his fourth of the year.

Des Moines scored the first goal of the game on a penalty shot by forward Nikita Pavlychev at 17:49 of the opening period and Tri-City went into the first intermission trailing 1-0.

The Bucs then increased their lead early on in the middle frame on a power play goal by forward Mark Petaccio at 3:05.

Goransson cut the lead to 2-1 at 5:29 of the second, scoring off a pass from defenseman Bobby Nardella on a rush. Forward Nick Master started the play, picking up the second assist by finding Nardella. The Rosemont, Ill. native found Goransson trailing the play for an open look at the net and the big man didn’t miss.

Less than two minutes after Goransson’s tally, Des Moines made it 3-1 on a goal by Joe Widmar at 6:45.

In the third, Tyler Drevitch extended the Bucs’ lead to 4-1 with his first goal of the season 3:57 in.

But Tri-City got a comeback going a few minutes later when Gamez found a loose puck in front for a power play tally to make it 4-2. Appleton and Nardella were credited with assists on the goal.

While a Tory Dello tripping penalty had the Storm down a man minutes later, defenseman Jalen Schulz found an opening and hit Appleton on a home run pass that sent the forward in on a breakaway. The Green Bay, Wis. native converted for the team’s second short-handed goal of the season and cut the lead to 4-3.

With the score holding up late in the game, Des Moines defenseman Patrik Kosh took a five-minute major penalty for slashing, giving the Storm a power play for 4:19, which was all that was left in regulation.
Although Tri-City had their chances, they couldn’t find the equalizer they were searching for and fell short by one goal.

Blake Weyrick got the start in between the pipes for the Storm and made 28 saves in the loss. Des Moines netminder Ryland Pashovitz earned the win for his team, making 33 saves.

After the Thanksgiving holiday, Tri-City will resume play in Omaha against the Lancers on Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. The Storm return to the Viaero Event Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9 in a matchup with the Lincoln Stars at 7:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forward Chase Hatcher and defenseman Jason Krych. Chris Wilkie was also scratched, serving a one-game suspension…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Des Moines – Nikita Pavlychev (penalty shot) 17:49

2nd Period

Des Moines – Mark Petaccio (power play) (Ryan Dmowski, Corey Schueneman) 3:21
Tri-City – Mattias Goransson (Bobby Nardella, Nick Master) 5:29
Des Moines – Joe Widmar (Kyle Patava, Ryan Dmowski) 6:45

3rd Period
Des Moines – Tyler Drevitch (Brennan Sanford, Joe Widmar) 3:57
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez (power play) (Mason Appleton, Bobby Nardella) 6:51
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (short-handed) (Jalen Schulz) 10:38

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Matthew Freytag – (Elbowing), 2 min, 10:11
Tri-City – Matthew Freytag – (Boarding), 2 min, 12:55
Des Moines – Kyle Patava – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 15:38

2nd Period

Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Holding), 2 min, 2:04
Des Moines – Patrick Koch – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 7:22
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 7:22
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Roughing), 2 min, 7:22
Des Moines – Nikita Pavlychev – (Kneeing), 2 min, 15:30

3rd Period

Des Moines – Patrick Grasso – (Slashing), 2 min, 6:04
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Tripping), 2 min, 8:53
Des Moines – Patrik Kosh – (Slashing), 5 min, 15:41
Des Moines – Patrik Kosh – (Slashing) (Misconduct), 10 min, 15:41

Power Play

Tri-City – 1/4

Des Moines – 1/5

Shots

Tri-City: 6, 12, 18 = Total: 36
Des Moines: 13, 11, 8 = Total: 32

Saves
Tri-City – Blake Weyrick – 28/32
Des Moines – Ryland Pashovitz – 33/36