Hockey – Page 27 – North Platte Post Archive

Vecchione, Union Capture National Championship

Posted on April 14, 2014

vecchione-trophy-Union Tri-City Storm Hockey — Former Tri-City Storm Forward Mike Vecchione Raising the NCAA Hockey National Championship Trophy

KEARNEY, Neb. – Former Storm forward Mike Vecchione helped the Union Dutchmen capture the school’s first ever national championship on Saturdaynight in Philadelphia, defeating the University of Minnesota by a score of 7-4.

Vecchione scored a goal in the game, while putting a team-high seven shots on net and finishing with a plus-one rating.

The freshman was the first center on the team’s depth chart, playing between wings Daniel Carr and Daniel Ciampini.

The Dutchmen took a 4-2 lead after the first period, and never looked back. Although Minnesota had a 2-1 lead 10 minutes into the opening stanza, Vecchione scored his 14th tally of the season at the 15:09 mark, evening the game.

Vecchione’s strike began a stretch of three Union goals in under two minutes, giving them that two-goal lead to take into the locker room. After Minnesota brought back the lead to within one at 4-3 and 5-4, the Dutchmen got their sixth of the night with less than two minutes to play and added an empty net goal to seal the win.

The Saugus, Mass. native led Tri-City with 26 goals in 2012-13. In 114 games with the Storm over two seasons, Vecchione had 36 goals and 55 assists.

Former Storm goaltender Adam Wilcox started in net for the Golden Gophers, coming up short in the final game of the season, despite making 41 saves.

In his sophomore season, the netminder was one of the best in the country, being named the Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year.

Tri-City is preparing for the two annual USHL Entry Drafts, which will take place May 5-6. The Storm will have the No. 3 overall pick in both drafts.

The Phase I Draft will include eligible players with a 1998 birth year and the Phase II Draft will include multiple birth years from 1994-1997.

Storm Represented Well At Frozen Four

Posted on April 9, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Three former Tri-City Storm players will be in Philadelphia this weekend, attempting to capture a national championship at the 2014 Frozen Four.

The standouts include goaltender Adam Wilcox with Minnesota, forward Michael Vecchione with Union and forward Andrew Panzarella of North Dakota.

Vecchione’s Union Dutchmen will go up against the Boston College Eagles on Thursday at 5 p.m. EST, before Wilcox’s Golden Gophers face-off against Panzarella and North Dakota at 8:30. Both semifinal games can be seen on ESPN2.

The national champion will be crowned at the completion of the final game, Saturday night at 7:30 on ESPN.

Wilcox, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, has been outstanding all season for Minnesota. The netminder has won 25 games while posting a 1.89 goals against average and a .934 save percentage.

In regional play, Wilcox backstopped the Gophers to a 7-3 win over Robert Morris, before shutting out St. Cloud State 4-0 the following day.

The goaltender played 34 games for the Storm in 2011-12 and led Tri-City to the 2012 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs.

Vecchione, who led the Storm with 26 goals a season ago, has had a breakout year as a freshman. The Saugus, Mass. native has put up 31 points in 36 games in his first season on campus that included 12 goals and 19 assists.

With Union as a No. 1 seed in the East Regional, Vecchione played a big role as one of the team’s top centers in a 5-2 win over Vermont and a 3-1 triumph against Providence.

North Dakota winger Andrew Panzarella also played in both his teams’ regional wins over Wisconsin and Ferris State. The junior has registered a goal and an assist in 20 games.

Panzarella, a Washington, DC native, had a four-year USHL career with Des Moines, Tri-City and Waterloo.

The up-to-date 2014 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey bracket can be found here.

Storm Fans Raise $9,718 With Jerseys For A Cause

Posted on April 8, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm raised $1,056 during three games in February and April with its Jerseys For A Cause program. All proceeds have been donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

During 29 games of the Jerseys For A Cause raffle in the 2013-14 season, Storm fans raised a total of $9,718.

The Susan G. Komen foundation is constantly working to fight breast cancer. Money raised by the foundation goes towards detection, treatment and research of the disease.

Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, the JFAC program benefitted a different organization each month. During home games, a limited edition pink Storm jersey worn by the team on Oct. 4 was raffled off to fans who donated.

Other organizations receiving funds throughout the season long program included Mary Lanning Healthcare, Phelps Memorial Healthcare, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Relay For Life, and the Good Samaritan Hospital’s Kearney Tackles Cancer Fund.

The 2013-14 season was the third year Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska partnered with Tri-City on the JFAC program.

2 Lincoln Hockey Players Investigated for Sex with Minor

Posted on April 8, 2014

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — Two minor league hockey players from Nebraska are being investigated by police in Minnesota for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl and recording it.

Court documents say two 18-year-old players from the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League had sex with the girl at a Moorhead hotel Feb. 15 when the team was in town to play the Fargo Force. KFGO (http://bit.ly/1lGBZIB ) reports a search warrant affidavit says one of the players took a brief video of the encounter, which was circulated among other players.

A Moorhead detective traveled to Lincoln, Neb., to interview the two players. Their cell phones were seized as evidence.

Lincoln Stars president and general manager Jon Hull says team officials are waiting to see what happens with the police probe.

Stars Win Shootout In Season Finale

Posted on April 6, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Lincoln Stars (24-28-8) erased a two-goal deficit and defeated the Tri-City Storm (21-35-4) in a shootout 3-2 in the 2013-14 season finale in front of a sellout crowd of 4,406 at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night.

Storm netminder Hayden Lavigne made 42 saves for Tri-City, while Austin Poganski and Conner Valesano each netted goals in the loss.

After a slow starting first period, the Storm took a 1-0 lead when Poganski capitalized on a five-on-three power play opportunity with a minute left in the frame. Chris Wilkie centered a puck that glanced off the St. Cloud, Minn. native’s stick and behind Lincoln goalie Michael Bitzer.

Dan Labosky picked up a second assist on the goal, his 21st helper of the season. The goal was Poganski’s 19th of the year, which led the team.

Tri-City then opened their lead up to 2-0 at 1:05 of the second, getting a fortunate bounce off Bitzer’s stick. Wilkie left a drop pass for his center Valesano, who threw one to the front of the net that glanced behind Bitzer on a deflection from his own lumber.

The goal was Valesano’s 12th of the season, and fourth in 25 games with Tri-City. For Wilkie, his two assists on the night gave him 19 on the season. The Omaha, Neb. native led the squad with 36 points in 57 games.

Lincoln got on the board with a power play tally of their own from Dominick Sacco at 13:52 of the middle period.

Then in the third, the Stars tied the game at 10:44 on Magnus Hoff’s 15th goal of the year.

A scoreless overtime period led to a shootout, which Lincoln won, 2-1. The Stars got goals from their first two shooters, Sacco and John Simonson, and it was enough to hold off the Storm, who had a strike from Cody Milan.

Bitzer was steady in between the pipes for the Stars, making 47 saves. The Storm outshot Lincoln 49-45 in the game.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel, Drew Mayer, Chase Berger, and Kyle Eastman, along with defensemen Cutler Martin, Sean Lang, Fredric Larsson and goaltender Jacob Johansson…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Austin Poganski (power play) (Chris Wilkie, Dan Labosky)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Conner Valesano (Chris Wilkie, Patrick Curry) 1:05
Lincoln – Dominick Sacco (power play) (Magnus Hoff) 13:52

3rd Period

Lincoln – Magnus Hoff (Dominick Sacco, Christian Lampasso) 10:44

Overtime
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Interference), 2 min, 5:51
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Slashing), 2 min, 8:35
Lincoln – Hunter Anderson – (Boarding), 2 min, 11:10
Lincoln – Tom Marchin – (Slashing), 2 min, 17:26
Lincoln – Luke Shiplo – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 18:18
Lincoln – Luke Shiplo – (Checking From Behind), 10 min, 18:18

2nd Period

Lincoln – Connor Frantti – (Holding), 2 min, 9:55
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Interference), 2 min, 13:47
Lincoln – Zack Pittman – (Roughing), 2 min, 18:18
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Roughing), 2 min, 18:18
Lincoln – Brandon Smith – (Tripping), 2 min, 19:24

3rd Period

Lincoln – Zack Pittman – (Roughing), 2 min, 3:18
Lincoln – Patrick Gazzillo – (Interference), 2 min, 5:09
Tri-City – Nick Hutchison – (High Sticking), 2 min, 5:37
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Tripping), 2 min, 8:18

Overtime
(no penalties)

Power Play

Lincoln –1/5

Tri-City – 1/7

Shots

Lincoln: 8, 13, 7, = Total: 31
Tri-City: 11, 22, 15, = Total: 46

Saves

Lincoln – Michael Bitzer – 47/49
Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 42/44

Elser Scores Four In Des Moines Victory

Posted on April 5, 2014

DES MOINES, Ia. – Danial Elser scored four goals, leading the Des Moines Buccaneers (20-32-7) to a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City Storm (21-35-3) on Friday night at Buccaneer Arena.

Dan Labosky and Cody Milan each scored for Tri-City, while affiliate Josh Gabriel notched his first career USHL point.

Elser came out of the gate hot, scoring twice in the first eight minutes of the game to give the Buccaneers an early 2-0 lead. Both goals came on tip-in plays in front of the net and were assisted by Alec Rauhauser and Ryan Galt.

Tri-City cut into the lead later in the opening period on Labosky’s 10th goal of the season. Gabriel started the play, moving the puck to forward Austin Poganski, who found Labosky open for a wrister. The shot beat Des Moines goaltender Ryan Ruck up high and made it a 2-1 game.

But less than a minute later, Des Moines re-established a two-goal lead on a tally from forward Patrick Grasso. Set up by defenseman David Drake, Grasso bested Storm netminder Hayden Lavigne to make it 3-1.

The Storm cut the Bucs’ lead once again in the second on Milan’s fourth goal of the season. Assisted by forwards Garrett Gamez and Jake Wahlin, Tri-City was down 3-2 as the teams headed to the third period.

Elser took over once again in the final frame, scoring his third of the night at 11:53 and his fourth with an empty net at 18:50.

Ruck made 29 saves to earn the win for Des Moines, while Lavigne turned aside 41 shots for Tri-City in the loss.

The Storm will end their 2013-14 season with Saturday night’s finale against Lincoln at the Viaero Event Center. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City will celebrate Fan Appreciation Night and honor the ten-year anniversary of their 2003-04 Anderson Cup championship team.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel, Drew Mayer, Chase Berger, and Kyle Eastman, along with defensemen Cutler Martin, Sean Lang, Fredric Larsson and goaltender Jacob Johansson…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Des Moines – Danial Elser (Alec Rauhauser, Ryan Galt) 3:50
Des Moines – Danial Elser (Ryan Galt, Alec Rauhauser) 7:13
Tri-City – Daniel Labosky (Austin Poganski, Joshua Gabriel) 15:15
Des Moines – Patrick Grasso (David Drake) 16:07

2nd Period

Tri-City – Cody Milan (Garrett Gamez, Jake Wahlin) 11:40

3rd Period

Des Moines – Danial Elser (Michael Marnell) 11:53
Des Moines – Danial Elser (empty net) (Ryan Galt) 18:50

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Daniel Fritz – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 7:29
Tri-City – Donovan Gardiner – (Kneeing), 2 min, 11:47
Des Moines – David Drake – (Interference), 2 min, 16:25
Tri-City – Donovan Gardiner – (Hooking), 2 min, 19:27

2nd Period

Des Moines – Ryan Galt – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:30
Des Moines – Jimi Kuronen – (Rouging), 2 min, 15:30
Tri-City – Joshua Gabriel – (Slashing), 2 min, 15:30
Tri-City – Joshua Gabriel – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:30
Tri-City – Nick Hutchison – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:30

3rd Period

Des Moines – Nicky Wolff – (Fighting), 5 min, 4:12
Tri-City – Donovan Gardiner – (Fighting), 5 min, 4:12
Des Moines – Ruslan Rakhmatov – (Fighting), 5 min, 12:10
Tri-City – Daniel Fritz – (Fighting), 5 min, 12:10
Des Moines – Nicky Wolff – (Tripping), 2 min, 13:23

Power Play

Tri-City –0/2

Des Moines – 0/4

Shots

Tri-City: 8, 16, 7, = Total: 31
Des Moines: 18, 13, 15, = Total: 46

Saves

Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 41/45
Des Moines – Ryan Ruck – 29/31

Season Finale With Lincoln Sold Out

Posted on April 4, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm’s final home game vs. Lincoln on Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center has been declared a sellout.

The Viaero Event Center box office has sold all seats in the inner bowl area as well as available standing room only tickets.

The box office is advising fans who have tickets waiting at will call to pick them up in advance of tomorrow’s game to avoid waiting in line. The VEC box office is open on Friday until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until game time.

Saturday’s game is the third sellout of the 2013-14 season. The game completes another year of increased attendance for Storm Hockey.

In each of the past five seasons, the Storm have seen an increase in attendance at the Viaero Event Center.

The Storm will battle the Des Moines Buccaneers on Friday night at Buccaneer Arena at 7:05 p.m.

Saturday’s season finale will also get underway at 7:05. Tri-City will recognize the 10-year anniversary of their Anderson Cup championship from the 2003-04 season, as well as honor their fans for Fan Appreciation Night.

Hulton Inks Contract Extension

Posted on April 3, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Hours before the final weekend of the regular season, Tri-City Storm head coach and general manager Jim Hulton has agreed in principle to an extension which will keep him at the helm through next season. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Hulton, 45, took over on Nov. 19, 15 games into the regular season. In January, the general manager made the decision to make trades to position the franchise better for the future.

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to come back and hopefully finish the job,” Hulton said. “We started a big task at the trade deadline and put a lot of stock in our team moving forward. To have the opportunity to come back and see that to fruition is something that I’m very excited about.”

Tri-City was 4-9-2 (.333) when Hulton came in, replacing Josh Hauge. The Storm have gone 17-25-1 (.407) under his guidance, for an overall record of 21-34-3 (.388). Currently tied with Des Moines for sixth in the Western Conference, Tri-City has been eliminated from playoff contention.

“I think all the pieces are in place for this organization to have success,” Hulton said. “I think we have a terrific ownership group that supports us in every way possible, we have a great office staff here with the Storm and there’s continuity in the coaching staff.”

The bench boss also said that his assistant coach JB Bittner, who was hired in June, will be returning by his side.

“I’m very comfortable with JB,” Hulton said. “He’s more than an assistant coach to me, he’s a coaching and management partner and we think we’ve solidified our scouting staff. Now we have to put the on-ice product there and that’s the enjoyable part from a coach’s standpoint. We think we’ve aligned ourselves in a spot where we can do these things and hopefully have a lot more success on the ice.”

Hulton was brought in to replace Josh Hauge, and has coaching experience at many levels, both amateur and professional. Before coming to Kearney, he was with the Florida Panthers as an Assistant Coach in the National Hockey League from 2008-2011.

A Kingston, Ont. native, Hulton also served as a head coach in the OHL for 10 seasons with the Mississauga IceDogs, Belleville Bulls, Kingston Frontenacs and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.

The news comes on the five-year anniversary of the announcement that Mr. Kirk Brooks acquired the franchise back in 2009. In each year since Brooks came on board, including the current season, attendance at the Viaero Event Center has increased.

Tri-City will head to Des Moines and drop the puck on their final weekend of the regular season at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night.

The Storm will then return home to close the season in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center against the Lincoln Stars. The final home game of the 2013-14 season will get underway on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.

Former Storm Player, Van Guilder Makes NHL Debut With Nashville

Posted on March 31, 2014

Van Guilder Tri-City Storm Hockey — Mark Van Guilder (Right)

KEARNEY, Neb. – At 30 years young, former Storm forward Mark Van Guilder made his National Hockey League debuton Sunday night with the Nashville Predators and helped the team to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals.

Van Guilder, who donned a Storm sweater for two seasons from 2002-04, became the ninth Tri-City player to make it all the way to the NHL.

Wearing No. 29, Van Guilder earned eight minutes and 27 seconds of ice time in his Preds opener.

The Roseville, Minn. native also becomes the sixth player from the Storm’s 2003-04 Anderson Cup winning team to suit up with an NHL squad.

Tri-City will honor the 10-year anniversary of that Anderson Cup championship team on Saturday night in the regular season finale with Lincoln.

Van Guilder is in his sixth season of professional hockey after playing four years at Notre Dame following his junior hockey career with Tri-City.

The center played in 387 professional games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and Hamilton Bulldogs, as well as the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones before getting the call to Nashville.

During two full seasons in Kearney in which he played 119 regular season games, Van Guilder had 28 goals and 30 assists, totaling 58 points. He also had three goals and two assists in 11 postseason contests during the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs.

Tri-City will head to Des Moines and drop the puck with the Buccaneers at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night before returning home to close the season in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center.

The Storm will look for a win over the Lincoln Stars in their final home game of the season at 7:05 p.m. on Saturdaynight.

Curry, McMurphy Tally Goal And Assist In Win

Posted on March 31, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (21-34-3) picked up their first victory of the year over the Sioux City Musketeers (37-18-3) in their sixth and final meeting of the season at the Tyson Events Center on Sunday evening, pulling out a 3-2 win.

Patrick Curry and Ryan McMurphy each scored a goal and an assist, while Hayden Lavigne stopped 29 shots to backstop the Storm to a win in their third game in three nights.

The teams held each other scoreless for the first period, despite Tri-City earning three power play opportunities including a double minor in the opening 20 minutes.

Tri-City struck first in the second when McMurphy found Curry in front of the net for the score. The goal was Curry’s fourth of the season and came just over seven minutes into the middle frame. The second assist on the goal was credited to Storm forward Joey DiBenedetto, his first career USHL point.

Sioux City responded 59 seconds later however, with forward Adam Johnson scoring to tie the game at 1-1.

Later in the period, Chris Wilkie netted his 17th goal of the season, taking a pass from center Conner Valesano and beating Sioux City netminder Collin Olson up high with a shot to the right corner of the net.

Wilkie’s tally put Tri-City up 2-1 heading into the third period.

Right off the opening face-off in the final frame, McMurphy found himself with a quality scoring chance and beat Olson on a wrist shot from the right circle to open up the Storm lead, 3-1. Both Curry and defenseman Kevin Kerr were credited with assists on Tri-City’s third tally of the game.

Musketeer defenseman Jerad Rosburg scored an unassisted goal at 8:24 of the final period, cutting the Storm lead to 3-2, but Sioux City never came any closer.

Lavigne came up with all the saves he needed in the final minutes to win his second game of the weekend.

The Storm have just one final weekend remaining in the regular season and will make the trip to Des Moines to battle the Buccaneers on Friday night before returning home to host Lincoln on Saturday.

Saturday night’s game at the Viaero Event Center will get underway at 7:05 p.m. Tri-City will celebrate Fan Appreciation Night as well as honor the ten-year anniversary of their 2003-04 Anderson Cup championship team.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel, Drew Mayer, and Kyle Eastman, along with defensemen Cutler Martin, Sean Lang, Tory Dello, Fredric Larsson and goaltender Jacob Johansson…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Patrick Curry (Ryan McMurphy, Joey DiBenedetto) 7:10
Sioux City – Adam Johnson (Joe Snively) 8:09
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Conner Valesano, Daniel Fritz) 15:25

3rd Period

Tri-City – Ryan McMurphy (Patrick Curry, Kevin Kerr) 0:30
Sioux City – Jerad Rosburg (unassisted) 8:24

PENALTIES

1st Period

Sioux City – Avery Peterson – (Tripping), 2 min, 7:39
Sioux City – Tyler Mueller – (High Sticking) (Double Minor), 4 min, 9:50
Tri-City – Patrick Curry – (Roughing), 2 min, 16:21
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Abuse Of Officials) (Misconduct), 10 min, 16:21
Sioux City – Trevor Olson – (Abuse Of Officials) (Misconduct), 10 min, 16:21
Sioux City – Blake Heinrich – (Roughing), 2 min, 20:00
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Roughing), 2 min, 20:00

2nd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Hooking), 2 min, 17:24

3rd Period

Sioux City – Garrett Cockerill – (Head Contact), 5 min, 16:51
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Hooking), 2 min, 18:07

Power Play

Tri-City –0/4

Sioux City – 0/2

Shots

Tri-City: 10, 8, 6, = Total: 24
Sioux City: 8, 10, 13, = Total: 31

Saves

Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 29/31
Sioux City – Collin Olson – 21/24