KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm (4-2-0) goaltender Alec Dillon made it two Friday night shutouts in a row, defeating the Green Bay Gamblers (2-3-0) 4-0 on Color Out Cancer Night at the Viaero Event Center Friday.

On an ice surface painted by fans, Dillon stopped all 25 shots that came his way to record his second shutout of the season. Tri-City got goals from four different players, including three power play tallies.

Garrett Gamez scored in the first period before Cody Milan, Chris Wilkie and Mason Appleton each netted power play goals in the second.

Gamez opened the scoring with his third goal of the year at 7:58 of the first period and the Storm went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

Things were broken open in the second when Tri-City scored power play goals just a minute and four seconds apart from each other. First, Milan found a rebound in front and put it home for his first goal of the season. After another Green Bay penalty to Jake Kauppila for roughing, Jake Wahlin placed a pass right on Wilkie’s stick for the goal and a 3-0 lead. Wilkie now has four goals in the team’s first six games to lead the team.

Later in the middle period, Storm defenseman Bobby Nardella found Appleton in front for the team’s third power play goal of the period to make it 4-0. Appleton now has three goals in his first six USHL games.

Gamblers’ netminder Jared Rutledge made 30 stops for Green Bay in the loss. Tri-City outshot Green Bay 34-25 in the game.

The two teams will finish off their weekend series with an afternoon 3:05 p.m. start time on Saturday at the Viaero Event Center.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Aleksi Ainali, Nolan Aibel and Wade Allison, along with defenseman Jason Krych and goaltender Blake Weyrick…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Garrett Gamez (Chase Berger, Joel Herbert) 7:58

2nd Period

Tri-City – Cody Milan (power play) (Tory Dello, Mattias Goransson) 11:11
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Jake Wahlin, Bobby Nardella) 12:15
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (power play) (Bobby Nardella, Chris Wilkie) 18:17

3rd Period

(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Elbowing), 2 min, 8:47
Green Bay – Sam Kauppila – (High Sticking), 2 min, 13:59
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (High Sticking), 2 min, 16:47
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Roughing), 4 min, 19:49
Green Bay – Sam Kauppila – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 19:49

2nd Period

Green Bay – Drew Best – (High Sticking), 2 min, 9:21
Green Bay – Jake Kauppila – (Roughing), 2 min, 11:54
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Elbowing), 2 min, 12:25
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting), 5 min, 13:39
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 13:39
Green Bay – Joe Wegwerth – (Fighting), 5 min, 13:39
Green Bay – Joe Wegwerth – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 13:39
Green Bay – Joe Wegwerth – (Roughing), 2 min, 13:39
Green Bay – Grant Frederic – (Holding), 2 min, 17:26
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Roughing), 2 min, 19:30

3rd Period

Tri-City – Chase Hatcher – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 6:35
Tri-City – Cameron Spicer – (Interference), 2 min, 14:12
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Holding), 2 min, 16:15
Green Bay – Ryan Smith – (High Sticking), 2 min, 17:09

Power Play

Green Bay –0/8

Tri-City – 3/6

Shots

Green Bay: 12, 5, 8, = Total: 25
Tri-City: 11, 11, 12, = Total: 34

Saves

Green Bay – Jared Rutledge – 30/34
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 25/25

KEARNEY, Neb. – Two power play goals in the third period propelled the Chicago Steel (2-2-1) to a 2-1 win over the Tri-City Storm (3-2-0) at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night.

The lone Tri-City goal was scored by forward Joel Herbert in the second period. For Herbert, the tally was his first in USHL play, and his first point in a Storm uniform.

Alec Dillon made 29 saves for the Storm in the loss, coming within minutes of his second consecutive shutout.

Tri-City was ahead 1-0 through two periods, but lost the lead after taking two consecutive bench minor penalties for too many men on the ice.

The Steel capitalized, scoring with the man advantage on both opportunities. Connor Murphy tallied the first goal of the weekend for Chicago and Robby Jackson followed it up with a second power play tally just over two minutes later.

Chicago netminder John Lethemon stopped 34 shots for the Steel to get the win.

Tri-City led the shot count in the game, 35-31.

The Storm are back at home next weekend, as the Green Bay Gamblers come to Kearney for a two-game series. Friday night’s game begins at 7:30, while Saturday’s starts at 3:05.

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

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Joel Herbert (power play) (Cody Milan, Chase Berger) 9:35

3rd Period

Chicago – Connor Murphy (power play) (Robby Jackson, Peter Tischke) 3:37
Chicago – Robby Jackson (power play) (Connor Murphy, Michael Joyaux) 5:47

PENALTIES

1st Period

Chicago – Jake Bunz – (Hooking), 2 min, 9:15
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:51

2nd Period

Chicago – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 1:15
Chicago – Tyler Sifferlen – (Interference), 2 min, 8:05
Chicago – Michael Severson – (Slashing),  2 min, 19:04
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Slashing), 2 min, 19:04
Tri-City – Gordie Myer – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 19:38

3rd Period

Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 2:06
Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 4:34

Power Play

Chicago –2/4

Tri-City – 1/3

Shots

Chicago: 9, 12, 10, = Total: 31
Tri-City: 10, 15, 10, = Total: 35

Saves

Chicago – John Lethemon – 34/35
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 29/31

KEARNEY, Neb. – Alec Dillon stopped everything that came his way Friday night, leading the Tri-City Storm (3-1-0) to a 4-0 shutout win over the Chicago Steel (1-2-1) at the Viaero Event Center.

The Storm got goals from Cameron Spicer, Garrett Gamez, Chris Wilkie and Mason Appleton in the win. Dillon had 39 saves, picking up his first USHL shutout. In four appearances this season, Dillon has allowed just four goals.

Spicer opened the scoring at 11:54 of the first, sneaking into the offensive zone and taking a pass from forward Nick Master. The defenseman lifted the puck over Steel goaltender Cale Morris for his first USHL goal. Gamez was credited with the second assist on what ended up being the game-winning goal.

It was also Gamez who increased the Storm lead to 2-0 in the second, scoring off a great feed from defenseman Mattias Goransson. The team’s captain now has two goals and two assists in the team’s four games.

Later in the middle period, Wilkie made it 3-0, scoring on a wrist shot from the slot. Forward Jake Wahlin and defenseman Kevin Kerr picked up assists on the play and Tri-City was in control of the game after two frames.

Appleton added a tally in the third for his second goal of the season with assists to Matthew Freytag and Cody Milan.

Morris made 30 saves for Chicago in defeat, and Chicago outshot Tri-City 39-34 in the game.

The two teams will complete a weekend series on Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Aleksi Ainali and Wade Allison, along with defenseman Jason Krych. Defenseman Jalen Schulz was also scratched, serving the final night of three-game suspension…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Cameron Spicer (Nick Master, Garrett Gamez) 11:54

2nd Period

Tri-City – Garrett Gamez (Mattias Goransson) 4:15
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Jake Wahlin, Kevin Kerr) 14:12

3rd Period

Tri-City – Mason Appleton (Matthew Freytag, Cody Milan) 7:24

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Chase Hatcher – (Tripping), 2 min, 2:08
Chicago – Peter Tischke – (Holding), 2 min, 19:10
2nd Period

Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Fighting), 5 min, 3:02
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 3:02
Chicago – Peter Tischke – (Fighting), 5 min, 3:02
Chicago – Peter Tischke – (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 3:02
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 6:40

3rd Period

Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Roughing), 2 min, 3:06

Power Play

Chicago –0/3

Tri-City – 0/1

Shots

Chicago: 12, 9, 18, = Total: 39
Tri-City: 8, 14, 12, = Total: 34

Saves

Chicago – Cale Morris – 30/34
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 39/39