KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm announced dates Thursday for potential home playoff games in the USHL Western Conference Semifinal scheduled to begin next week. Single game tickets for Games 2 & 3 will go on sale Friday, April 10 at 10:00 a.m. at the Viaero Event Center Box Office.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, online at stormhockey.com, or over the phone by calling 308.338.8011.

Tri-City will face either Omaha or Sioux Falls and will host Games 2, 3, and 5 in the best-of-five series.

The Storm will host Game 2 on Thursday, April 16 at 7:05 p.m. and Game 3 on Saturday, April 18 at 7:05. If necessary, Tri-City will also host Game 5 on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:05.

The Storm have also announced that Cunningham’s Journal will be hosting official watch parties for all road playoff games, starting with Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinal.

A full schedule will be available as soon as the final regular season games have been played this weekend.

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 will finish the regular season on the road, taking on Dubuque and Des Moines. Friday’s game with the Fighting Saints starts at 7:35 p.m., while Saturday’s contest with the Buccaneers starts at 7:05.

Only one point behind first place Sioux City, Tri-City can win the Western Conference regular season title with wins in both road games this weekend.

KEARNEY, Neb. – Three former Tri-City Storm players will be in Boston this weekend, competing for a national championship trophy at the 2015 Frozen Four.

Forward Austin Poganski (2013-14) and defenseman Andrew Panzarella (2009-10) will represent North Dakota, along with forward Trevor Mingoia (2012-13) of Providence College.

Panzarella will be making his second Frozen Four appearance, having been with UND during last year’s event in Philadelphia, while Mingoia was with Union College during the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa Bay.

Mingoia’s Friars will go up against the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Thursday at 4 p.m., before Poganski and Panzarella face-off with Boston University at 7:30. Both semifinal games can be seen on ESPN2.

The national champion will be crowned at the completion of the final game, Saturday night at 6:30 on ESPN.

Panzarella played a big role in North Dakota’s advancement during the West Regional in Fargo, N.D. After falling behind 1-0 to St. Cloud State, the senior defenseman tied the game, scoring his first goal of the season in the first period.
Mingoia was also a big part of his team’s success, scoring a goal and an assist in Providence’s win over Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Friars then topped Denver to move into the Frozen Four for the first time since 1985.

The up-to-date 2015 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey bracket can be found here.

The Storm will finish the regular season schedule on the road this weekend, taking on Dubuque and Des Moines. Friday’s game with the Fighting Saints starts at 7:35 p.m., while Saturday’s contest with the Buccaneers starts at 7:05.

Only one point behind first place Sioux City, Tri-City can win the Western Conference regular season title with wins in both road games next weekend.

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. – Wade Allison had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Storm (36-16-6) closed out the regular season at the Viaero Event Center with a 4-1 win over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (38-20-0) in front of a sellout crowd of 3,946.

Forward Conner Valesano and defenseman Mattias Goransson each had a goal and an assist in the victory, while goaltender Jared Rutledge made 30 saves.

With the win, Tri-City has secured a home ice advantage for the first round of the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs.

Valesano scored his fourth of the season to get the Storm an early lead at 6:06 of the opening period. Assists on the goal went to forward Kyle Eastman and defenseman Vince Pedrie.

Tri-City pushed the lead to 2-0 in the middle period when Mattias Goransson scored his seventh tally of the season on the power play at 12:52. Allison found Goransson with a pass, and the defenseman blasted a shot through a screen by Chase Berger and past Cedar Rapids’ goaltender Ryan Larkin. Defenseman Tory Dello was credited with the second assist on the play.

Then in the final period, Allison gave the team the insurance they were searching for, turning on his jets and beating a couple RoughRiders defenseman out wide before taking the puck to the net and shooting one under Larkin to make it 3-0.

Cedar Rapids pulled Larkin in favor of an extra attacker to try and get back in the game late. They succeeded at first when Ross Colton ended Rutledge’s shutout bit, but Dan Labosky scored an empty netter to seal the win with just over a minute to play.

Labosky’s final tally was assisted by Berger and Allison.

Tri-City is currently in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 78 points.

The Storm will finish the regular season schedule on the road next weekend, taking on Dubuque and Des Moines. Friday’s game with the Fighting Saints starts at 7:35 p.m., while Saturday’s contest with the Buccaneers starts at 7:05.

Only one point behind first place Sioux City, Tri-City can win the Western Conference regular season title with wins in both road games next weekend.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag, Nick Master and Nolan Aibel…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Conner Valesano (Kyle Eastman, Vince Pedrie) 6:06

2nd Period

Tri-City – Mattias Goransson (Wade Allison, Tory Dello) 12:52

 

3rd Period
Tri-City – Wade Allison (Conner Valesano, Mattias Goransson) 13:18
Cedar Rapids – Ross Colton (extra attacker) (Cal Burke) 17:46
Tri-City – Dan Labosky (empty net) (Chase Berger, Wade Allison) 18:48

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Slashing), 2 min, 6:44

2nd Period
Cedar Rapids – Aaron Thow – (Holding), 2 min, 12:33

3rd Period
Cedar Rapids – Aaron Thow – (Interference), 2 min, 2:56

Power Play

Cedar Rapids – 0/1

Tri-City – 1/2

Shots

Cedar Rapids: 12, 6, 13 = Total: 31
Tri-City: 9, 9, 8 = Total: 26

Saves
Cedar Rapids – Ryan Larkin – 22/25
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 30/31

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (35-16-6) outlasted a late comeback by the Sioux Falls Stampede (31-21-5) and held on for their first victory in the new Denny Sanford Premier Center, winning 7-6 on Friday night.

Forwards Chris Wilkie and Wade Allison each had two goals for Tri-City, while Jake Wahlin, Bobby Nardella and Mason Appleton also scored in the win.

Wilkie now leads the USHL with 34 goals this season. Appleton also had three assists, finishing the night with four points. For Allison, it was his first career multi-goal game.

The Storm had a quick start in the first period when Allison scored 4:05 in, and Tri-City built a 3-0 lead before the first intermission.

The Myrtle, Man. native scored off a face-off win by Chase Berger, putting the puck high glove side on Stampede goalie Arthur Brey.

Later in the frame, Wahlin made it 2-0 with a power play goal from Appleton and Gamez. It was the forward’s 13th tally of the year in his first USHL season.

Nardella extended the lead in the final minute of the first, scoring with 29 seconds to go on a slap shot.

Sioux Falls started the second period with Stefanos Lekkas in between the pipes. Brey finished with four saves through 20 minutes.

The Storm scored twice in the middle period on goals by Appleton and Wilkie, and led 5-1 after two. Clint Lewis had the lone Stampede goal through 40 minutes.

Wilkie’s goal came with 11 seconds remaining in the frame. The North Dakota commit leads the team with 52 points this season.

With a quick start in the third, Tri-City pushed their lead to 7-1 on Allison and Wilkie’s second goals of the game.

Allison found the back of the net on a rebound after an initial shot by Dan Labosky. Berger was credited with the second assist. Then Wilkie scored on the power play from Wahlin and Nardella.

But Sioux Falls didn’t give up, scoring five straight goals to get back in the game at 7-6.

Mikey Eyssimont had the first strike at 6:39 of the final period. Then Dakota Joshua scored at 12:40, to start a run of three Stampede goals in under a minute. The next two tallies went to Parker Tuomie, and it was a 7-5 game with less than seven minutes remaining.

Collin Peters got the home team within one goal at 15:15, but Tri-City was able to shut the door to get a one-goal victory.

Storm goalie Alec Dillon got the victory, making 29 saves in the win.

Tri-City is currently in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 76 points. Three games remain in the regular season and the team has clinched a spot in the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs.

The Storm return to Kearney for their final home game of the regular season and Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday against Cedar Rapids at 7:05 p.m.

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

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Wade Allison (Chase Berger) 4:05
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (power play) (Mason Appleton, Garrett Gamez) 16:46
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (Mason Appleton, Garrett Gamez) 19:31

2nd Period

Sioux Falls – Clint Lewis (Cooper Marody, Kieffer Bellows) 4:29
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (power play) (Chris Wilkie, Bobby Nardella) 14:38
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Mason Appleton) 19:49

 

3rd Period
Tri-City – Wade Allison (Daniel Labosky, Chase Berger) 2:22
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Jake Wahlin, Bobby Nardella) 4:14
Sioux Falls – Mikey Eyssimont (Dakota Joshua, Clint Lewis) 6:39
Sioux Falls – Dakota Joshua (Mikey Eyssimont) 12:40
Sioux Falls – Parker Tuomie (unassisted) 12:50
Sioux Falls – Parker Tuomie (unassisted) 13:06
Sioux Falls – Collin Peters (Trey Bradley, Parker Tuomie) 15:15

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 0:51
Sioux Falls – Clint Lewis – (Tripping), 2 min, 15:40
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Roughing), 2 min, 20:00

2nd Period
Sioux Falls – Matt Nuttle – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 14:10

3rd Period
Sioux Falls – Daniel Warpecha – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 3:27
Sioux Falls – Logan O’Connor – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 10:29
Sioux Falls – Kieffer Bellows – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 10:29
Sioux Falls – Cooper Marody – (Roughing), 2 min, 10:29
Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 10:29
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 10:29
Sioux Falls – Dakota Joshua – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 19:14
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – (Roughing), 2 min, 20:00

Power Play

Tri-City – 3/5

Sioux Falls – 0/2

Shots

Tri-City: 7, 13, 13 = Total: 33
Sioux Falls: 10, 10, 15 = Total: 35

Saves
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 29/35
Sioux Falls – Arthur Brey – 4/7, Stefanos Lekkas – 22/26