Hockey – Page 17 – North Platte Post Archive

Storm Prevail With 2-1 Shootout Win In Omaha

Posted on November 15, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (8-4-3) got their eighth victory of the season in shootout fashion over the Omaha Lancers (4-7-3) on Saturdaynight, earning two points with a 2-1 victory at the Ralston Arena.

Chase Berger scored early in the first, and both Chris Wilkie and Cody Milan found the back of the net in the skills competition, while goaltender Alec Dillon made 28 saves to pick up the victory.

Berger helped the Storm get out to a fast start, scoring just 43 seconds into the game to give Tri-City a 1-0 lead. Chris Wilkie and Mattias Goransson picked up assists on Berger’s third tally of the season.

The Lancers evened the game in the middle period, converting on a power play with a goal by forward Shane Gersich.

Later in the second, Storm forward Joel Herbert took a major penalty for checking from behind, as well as a game ejection. But Tri-City killed off the ensuing power play for Omaha, and kept the score tied at 1-1 after two periods.

No scoring in the third period, forced overtime, and eventually a shootout. It was the fifth shootout for the Storm in the team’s first 15 games of the season.

Omaha outshot Tri-City 29-26 in the game and Lancers’ netminder Hayden Hawkey finished with 24 saves.

The Storm will return home to face Des Moines at the Viaero Event Center in Kearney on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Wade Allison and Nolan Aibel along with defenseman Gordi Myer…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Chase Berger (Chris Wilkie, Mattias Goransson) 0:43

2nd Period

Omaha – Shane Gersich (power play) (Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Niklas Folin) 3:08

3rd Period

Cedar Rapids – Jiri Fronk (power play) (Andrew Oglevie) 3:24
Cedar Rapids – Jiri Fronk (Erik Foley, Andrew Oglevie) 5:14

Overtime
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Omaha – Michael Wilson – (Hooking), 2 min, 2:30
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Hooking), 2 min, 4:25
Tri-City – Matthew Freytag – (Hooking), 2 min, 8:16

Tri-City – Mason Appleton – (Tripping), 2 min, 13:19

Omaha – Michael Wilson – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 15:52

2nd Period

Tri-City – Nick Master – (Tripping), 2 min, 2:52
Omaha – Nick Rivera – (Kneeing), 2 min, 4:11
Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (Checking From Behihnd), 5 min, 14:36
Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (Checking From Behind) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 14:36

3rd Period

Omaha – Nick Rivera – (Elbowing), 2 min, 10:50

Overtime
(no penalties)

Power Play

Tri-City – 0/4

Omaha – 1/5

Shots

Tri-City: 10, 5, 7, 3 = Total: 25
Omaha: 9, 12, 7, 1 = Total: 29

Saves

Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 28/29
Omaha – Hayden Hawkey – 24/25

Duchene leads Avalanche over Devils 3-2

Posted on November 15, 2014

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Matt Duchene’s tiebreaking goal in the third period powered the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

Tied 2-2 with 2:53 left, Duchene tapped a loose puck past Cory Schneider for the game-winning goal.

John Mitchell and Erik Johnson also for scored Colorado. The Avalanche finished its swing through the New York City metropolitan region with a 2-1-0 mark. The Avalanche are 3-5-3 on the road this season, and 6-8-5 overall.

Semyon Varlamov stopped 23-of-25 shots in his third straight start.

Eric Gelinas and Martin Havlat scored for New Jersey, which saw its two game-winning streak end. They fell to 8-8-2.

Schneider made 27 saves in a losing effort. Schneider has started all 18 games for the Devils this season, and owns the franchise’s second longest streak of games started by a goaltender to open a season. Martin Brodeur’s 19 straight starts from Oct. 6-Nov. 2, 2001 is the franchise record.

Deadlocked 1-1 entering the third, both New Jersey and Colorado received goals from defensemen. Gelinas put the Devils ahead 2-1 with a quick shot off an offensive zone face off that cleanly beat the Vezina Trophy finalist. However, Johnson drew the Avalanche even at 2-2 with an unassisted off-wing shot that rolled through Schneider at 12:30.

The game remained tied until Duchene’s game-winner — his sixth of the year.

Havlat opened the scoring 2:04 into the game with a one-timer of a rebound that Varlamov couldn’t control. But the lead was short-lived as Mitchell tied the game six minutes and seven seconds after Havlat’s goal with a goalmouth tap-in.

That was all the scoring either team could muster in the first two periods as the game was tight-checking, and the goaltenders were strong when tested. Schneider gloved Marc-Andre Cliche’s odd-man rush drive 2:25 into the second, while Varlamov swallowed Gelinas’ slap shot with 8:54 remaining in the period.

Both Schneider and Varlamov were aided by their penalty kill units. New Jersey killed both of Colorado’s opportunities —including a four minute minor midway through the second when Gelinas was called for high-sticking Cliche —with the man advantage, and have killed 10 straight power plays. Colorado repaid the favor as they killed both of New Jersey’s power plays.

NOTES: New Jersey did not have Adam Henrique (lower body), Jon Merrill (arm), Bryce Salvador (lower body) and Ryane Clowe (head injury) in the lineup. … Damien Brunner dressed in place of Jordin Tootoo for the Devils. … Patrick Bordeleau (back), Brad Stuart (hamstring), Ryan Wilson (shoulder) and Jesse Winchester (head) were unavailable to play for Colorado. …The Avalanche scratched Dennis Everberg.

Fronk’s Hat Trick Leads Riders Over Storm

Posted on November 15, 2014

CEDAR RAPIDS, Ia. – The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (13-1-0) earned their tenth straight victory, defeating the Tri-City Storm (7-4-3) 7-2 in their first meeting of the season at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena on Friday night.

Forward Chris Wilkie scored his ninth goal of the season for the Storm in the loss, while forward Matthew Freytag picked up his fourth tally with a power play goal.

Cedar Rapids was led by a tandem of wings in Jiri Fronk and Erik Foley, who combined for five of the RoughRiders seven goals. Fronk scored once in the second and twice in the third to complete a hat trick on the night, while Foley had a goal in each of the first two periods.

The RoughRiders got goals from Foley and Alec Marsh in the first, and secured a 2-0 lead after the opening period.

After a third Cedar Rapids goal by Tyler Gernhofer early on in the second period, Wilkie got the Storm on the board, stealing a puck and heading in alone on a breakaway. The Omaha native beat RoughRider netminder Ben Blacker with a shot glove side, giving Tri-City some life in the game.

But Cedar Rapids responded with two more tallies from Fronk and Foley to take a 5-1 lead, forcing the Storm to pull goaltender Alec Dillon in favor of backup Blake Weyrick.

Freytag’s goal came in the final seconds of Tri-City’s first power play of the evening on a deflection of a slapshot from defenseman Mattias Goransson. Tory Dello picked up the second assist on the goal.

Fronk scored twice in less than a two minute span for the RoughRiders in the third to open things up and despite 17 shots for Tri-City in the final period, the game ended with Cedar Rapids on top 7-2.

The Storm outshot the RoughRiders 34-20 in the game.

Tri-City now heads to Omaha to take on the Lancers at the Ralston Arena on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Wade Allison and Chase Hatcher along with defenseman Jason Krych…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
Cedar Rapids – Alec Marsh (Tyler Gernhofer) 13:13
Cedar Rapids – Erik Foley (Jiri Fronk, Andrew Oglevie) 15:37

2nd Period
Cedar Rapids – Tyler Gernhofer (Dylan McLaughlin) 1:47
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (unassisted) 2:37
Cedar Rapids – Jiri Fronk (Erik Foley) 5:58
Cedar Rapids – Erik Foley (power play) (Ross Colton) 12:20
Tri-City – Matthew Freytag (power play) (Mattias Goransson, Tory Dello) 16:26

3rd Period
Cedar Rapids – Jiri Fronk (power play) (Andrew Oglevie) 3:24
Cedar Rapids – Jiri Fronk (Erik Foley, Andrew Oglevie) 5:14

PENALTIES

1st Period
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Slashing), 2 min, 17:38
Cedar Rapids – Alec Marsh – (Slashing), 2 min, 17:38
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:53

2nd Period
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Roughing), 2 min, 5:27
Cedar Rapids – Clark Kuster – (Roughing), 2 min, 5:27
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Boarding), 2 min, 6:38
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Interference), 2 min, 11:19
Cedar Rapids – Clark Kuster – (Tripping), 2 min, 14:26
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Continuing Altercation) (Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00
Cedar Rapids – Andrew Gaus – (Continuing Altercation) (Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00

3rd Period
Tri-City – Gordi Myer – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 2:15
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Slashing), 2 min, 12:03
Cedar Rapids – Alec Marsh – (Slashing), 2 min, 13:43
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Slashing), 2 min, 20:00

Power Play
Cedar Rapids – 2/5
Tri-City – 1/2

Shots
Cedar Rapids: 6, 7, 7 = Total: 20
Tri-City: 3, 14, 17 = Total: 34

Saves
Cedar Rapids – Ben Blacker – 32/34
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 5/10, Blake Weyrick – 8/10

MacKinnon Scores Tying Goal, Lifts Avs in SO

Posted on November 13, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored the tying goal in the third period and then connected in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

MacKinnon started the tiebreaker with a goal, and Alex Tanguay added one in the third round. Semyon Varlamov stopped Mats Zuccarello and then Lee Stempniak on the final attempt as Colorado won for the first time in three games on a four-game trip.

MacKinnon got the Avalanche even at 3 when his shot during a power play deflected off defenseman Dan Girardi’s stick and past Henrik Lundqvist at 7:54 for his fifth goal.

Matt Duchene had a goal and assist, and Tanguay also scored for the Avalanche, who had dropped four of five. Varlamov stopped 30 shots.

Derek Stepan and Girardi scored their first goals of the season 1:43 apart in the second period for the Rangers, who led 3-2 after trailing by a goal twice. Kevin Hayes also scored in the middle frame, and Lundqvist made 26 saves.

Storm Alumni Update: November

Posted on November 13, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm are recognizing forwards Mike Vecchione and Mario Lamoureux, as well as defenseman Johnny Hrabovsky as their alumni of the month in November. Each month during the season, the team will select a group of former players based on their contributions on the ice at the next level.

Vecchione, a sophomore at Union College and fresh off a National Championship title as a freshman, has started the season on a tear and was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month in October.

The Saugus, Mass. native led the conference in scoring during October with 12 points on five goals and seven assists. Vecchione also compiled a seven-game point streak and was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Week on Oct. 14 & 21.

With the Storm, Vecchione had 36 goals and 53 assists in 112 games during the course of two seasons (2011-13). A year ago in his freshman season at Union, the 21-year-old had 34 points in 36 games on 14 goals and 20 assists.

Lamoureux, who played four seasons with the Storm from 2004-2008, is off to a smoking start with a new team, the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL.

In the team’s first five games, Lamoureux has three goals and four assists, 11 penalty minutes and a plus-three rating. The forward spent most of last season with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign, before signing with VSV EC in Austria to play with his brother, Jean-Philippe.

The 26-year-old also played four years at the University of North Dakota from 2008-12.

Lamoureux continues to be one of the all-time greats to play in Kearney, and is cemented in Tri-City’s record books. His 129 total points are the most ever by a single player in a Storm uniform. He also ranks first all-time in assists, with 85, and penalty minutes, with 454.

Hrabovsky, who spent two seasons with Tri-City (2011-13), is currently a sophomore at the Air Force Academy in the Atlantic Hockey conference.

In his first nine games during the 2014-15 season, the Hummelstown, Penn. native has picked up six assists and is the leading defensive scorer on the team. The six helpers are second-best on the Falcons’ roster to former Storm forward Cole Gunner.

Last season as a freshman, Hrabovsky had two goals and eight assists in 39 games.

In his two USHL seasons with the Storm, the blueliner played in 111 games and had four goals and 19 assists for 23 points.

Tri-City will hit the road this weekend for games in Cedar Rapids and Omaha on Friday and Saturday respectively. Both contests will get underway at7:05 p.m.

The team returns home for a Nov. 21 clash with the Des Moines Buccaneers at 7:30 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.

Nardella Selected For World Junior A Challenge

Posted on November 12, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm defenseman Bobby Nardella was named to USA Hockey’s roster for the 2014 World Junior A Challenge in Kindersley, Saskatchewan Wednesday morning.

Nardella, along with 20 other USHL players, will make up a roster that competes Dec. 14-20 against teams from Canada, Denmark, Russia and Switzerland. For the complete USA roster, click here.

The 18-year-old has had a great start to his second USHL season, coming to Tri-City in a trade with the Sioux City Musketeers at the end of the 2013-14 campaign. In 13 games, Nardella has two goals and seven assists as the team’s leading defensive scorer.

A native of Rosemont, Ill., Nardella is fourth among all USHL defenseman in scoring, and his six power play assists are second in the USHL to teammate and power play partner Jake Wahlin.

Nardella will reunite with his former coach in Sioux City, Jay Varady, who will lead the World Junior A roster in Kindersley. Varady is in his second season as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Musketeers.

The World Junior A Challenge is in its ninth year, and the United States is competing for the eighth time. Team USA has won five of the last six tournaments (2008-10, 2012-13). The official tournament website is available here.

Team USA’s first tournament game takes place Monday, Dec. 15, against Switzerland. To see the complete schedule and for full Team USA coverage, click here. All tournament games will be streamed on FASTHockey.com.

Tri-City will hit the road this weekend for games in Cedar Rapids and Omaha on Friday and Saturday respectively. Both contests will get underway at7:05 p.m.

The team returns home for a Nov. 21 clash with the Des Moines Buccaneers at 7:30 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.

Leddy, Lee help Islanders Cruise past Avalanche

Posted on November 11, 2014

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Nick Leddy and Anders Lee scored early and Jaroslav Halak stopped 20 shots for his second straight shutout as the New York Islanders beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-0 Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.

Travis Hamonic, Nikolay Kulemin, Casey Cizikas and Ryan Strome also scored to help the Islanders get their first home win since Oct. 28. New York extended its shutout streak to 181:11 and has allowed just three goals in their last four game.

Leddy opened the scoring at 1:33 on a shot from the left point, and Lee added a power-play goal at 5:21 from in close for his second of the season.

Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov finished with 40 saves as Colorado was outshot 13-5 in the first period, 15-8 in the second and 18-7 in the third.

Goransson Named USHL Defenseman of the Week

Posted on November 10, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm defenseman Mattias Goransson was named the USHL’s CCM Defenseman of the Week by the league office Mondayafternoon.

The Grums, Sweden native scored a goal in both games during the weekend, as Tri-City earned three points from their two-game series with the Muskegon Lumberjacks at the Viaero Event Center.

On Friday night, Goransson got the Storm on the board and ignited their first comeback of the evening, scoring a power play goal early on in the second period.

The next evening the defenseman once again started the scoring for Tri-City, finding the back of the net on a pass from forward Cody Milan at 1:42 of the middle frame.

In his first season in the USHL, Goransson has been a key part of the team’s defensive corps, playing in all 13 games and scoring three goals and four assists along with a plus-three rating. He has also chipped in on the power play, with two goals and two assists on the man-advantage.

Goransson’s seven points is 10th best among all USHL defenseman, and his 23 shots on goal is 16th.

Tri-City will hit the road next weekend for games in Cedar Rapids and Omaha on Friday and Saturday respectively. Both contests will get underway at7:05 p.m.

The team returns home for a Nov. 21 clash with the Des Moines Buccaneers at 7:30 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.

Muskegon Gets Shootout Revenge With 3-2 Win

Posted on November 8, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – A second straight shootout went the way of the Muskegon Lumberjacks (9-4-1) Saturday night, as they knocked off the Tri-City Storm (7-3-3) 3-2 in the second meeting of the weekend for the two teams at the Viaero Event Center.

Defenseman Mattias Goransson found the back of the net for the second time during the weekend series for Tri-City, while Jake Wahlin notched his second goal of the season for the Storm in the loss.

In the shootout, Muskegon got an early strike from forward David Keefer, before defenseman Christian Wolanin ended the game in the fifth round of the skills competition.

Both teams earned three points on the weekend, after Friday night’s game ended with Tri-City on top of a 9-round shootout battle.

Muskegon’s goals were scored on power plays by forwards Robbie DeMontis and Griffen Molino.

Storm netminder Alec Dillon made 29 saves, while Eric Schierhorn stopped 40 shots for the Lumberjacks.

Tri-City will hit the road next weekend for games in Cedar Rapids and Omaha on Friday and Saturday respectively. Both contests will get underway at7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Wade Allison, Kyle Eastman, and Nolan Aibel along with defenseman Jason Krych.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Muskegon – Robbie DeMontis (power play) (Christian Wolanin, Matheson Iacopelli) 16:06

2nd Period

Tri-City – Mattias Goransson (Cody Milan, Mason Appleton) 1:42
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Kevin Kerr) 9:06

3rd Period

Muskegon – Griffen Molino (power play) (David Keefer, Christian Wolanin) 9:25

Overtime
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Aleksi Ainali – (Fighting), 5 min, 15:14
Tri-City – Aleksi Ainali – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 15:14
Muskegon – Steven Merl – (Fighting), 5 min, 15:14
Muskegon – Steven Merl – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 15:14
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Slashing), 2 min, 15:24
Muskegon – Mitch Eliot – (Holding), 2 min, 19:12

2nd Period

Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Fighting), 5 min, 10:01
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 10:01
Muskegon – Mitch Eliot – (Fighting), 5 min, 10:01
Muskegon – Mitch Eliot – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 10:01
Tri-City – Chase Hatcher – (Tripping), 2 min, 10:34
Muskegon – Christian Wolanin – (Tripping), 2 min, 10:55

3rd Period

Tri-City – Cameron Spicer – (Tripping), 2 min, 1:33
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Diving), 2 min, 8:40
Muskegon – Matheson Iacopelli – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 9:25
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:09
Muskegon – Matej Paulovic – (High Sticking), 2 min, 19:29

Overtime

(no penalties)

Power Play

Muskegon – 2/5

Tri-City – 0/4

Shots

Muskegon: 9, 7, 13, 2 = Total: 31
Tri-City: 19, 12, 7, 4 = Total: 42

Saves

Muskegon – Eric Schierhorn – 40/42
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 29/31

Giroux Scores 2 as Flyers Beat Avalanche 4-3

Posted on November 8, 2014

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Claude Giroux had two goals and an assist and the Philadelphia Flyers held off the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Saturday night for their third straight win.

Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Flyers, and Jakub Voracek added three assists to his league-leading total to help Philadelphia win its fifth straight at home. Steve Mason stopped 36 shots to hang on for his third consecutive win.

Trailing 4-0 after two periods, Maxime Talbot, Alex Tanguay and Zach Redmond scored in the third as the Avalanche lost their sixth straight on the road. Reto Berra stopped 23 of 27 shots.