Hockey – Page 28 – North Platte Post Archive

Force Blank Storm 4-0

Posted on March 30, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Fargo Force (13-39-6) scored three goals in the first period and held on to defeat the Tri-City Storm (20-34-3) 4-0 at Scheels Arena on Saturday night.

Hayden Lavigne made 31 stops for the Storm in defeat, while Mathias Israelsson also turned aside 31 shots to earn the shutout and the win for Fargo.

The Force took a 1-0 lead at 5:45 of the opening period on a rebound shot by forward Brody Stevens.

Later in the period Fargo scored twice in a 10-second span, opening up the game. Mason Morelli got the second tally of the night, followed by C.J. Hayes, who beat Lavigne after Fargo won the center-ice face-off and moved the puck right on net.

Fargo led 3-0 after the first, outshooting Tri-City 16-8 in the opening frame.

The Storm never broke through on Israelsson, despite outshooting Fargo 23-19 in the final two periods.

The Force added a power play goal from Mikey Eyssimont at 4:44 of the final period to make it 4-0 and seal the win.

Tri-City will now head to Sioux City for a battle on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. The game will be their third in three days.

The Storm’s final home game of the season will take place on April 5 against Lincoln at 7:05 p.m. Tri-City will celebrate fan appreciation night while honoring the 10-year anniversary of their Anderson Cup Championship from the 2003-04 season.

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

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Fargo – Brody Stevens (unassisted) 5:45
Fargo – Mason Morelli (unassisted) 10:20

Fargo – C.J. Hayes (unassisted) 10:3

2nd Period

(no scoring)

3rd Period

Fargo – Mikey Eyssimont (power play) (Tyler Hynes, Garick Gray) 4:44

PENALTIES

1st Period

Fargo – J.M. Piotrowski – (Fighting), 5 min, 15:42
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Fighting), 5 min, 15:42

2nd Period

Fargo – C.J. Hayes – (Roughing), 2 min, 3:59
Tri-City – Donovan Gardiner – (Roughing), 2 min, 3:59
Tri-City – Daniel Fritz – (Hooking), 2 min, 6:44
Fargo – Tanner Jago – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 8:05
Fargo – Hunter Warner – (Checking From Behind), 9:24
Fargo – Cole Bjugson – (Fighting), 5 min, 11:48
Tri-City – Joey DiBenedetto – (Fighting), 5 min, 11:48

3rd Period

Tri-City – Patrick Curry – (Hooking), 2 min, 2:58
Fargo – Tanner Jago – (Elbowing), 2 min, 6:50
Fargo – Cole Bjugson – (Hooking), 2 min, 13:41
Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – (Slashing), 2 min, 15:01
Fargo – Andrew McDonald – (Slashing), 2 min, 15:01
Fargo – Tyler Hynes – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 15:54

Power Play

Tri-City –0/5

Fargo – 1/2

Shots

Tri-City: 8, 13, 10 = Total: 31
Fargo: 16, 6, 13, = Total: 35

Saves

Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 31/35
Fargo – Mathias Israelsson – 31/31

Berger Scores Twice As Storm Top Force

Posted on March 29, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (20-33-3) got two goals from Chase Berger and defeated the Fargo Force (12-39-6) 4-1 at Scheels Arena on Friday night.

Storm netminder Hayden Lavigne made 38 saves in the win, while Jake Wahlin and Ryan McMurphy also scored goals for Tri-City.

Wahlin found the back of the net for the second time in as many games late in the first period, taking a pass from linemate Garrett Gamez and beating Fargo goaltender Mathias Israelsson with a quick release. The goal gave Tri-City the initial 1-0 lead and was the second tally for Wahlin, who was playing in his sixth USHL game as an affiliate this season.

Tri-City expanded their lead in the middle period when McMurphy had a highlight reel goal for his 11th of the season. The forward walked the goal line and shoved the puck past the outstretched pad of Israelsson to make it 2-0.

Less than a minute later however, the Force got on the board when Mikey Eyssimont scored off a two-on-one opportunity to make it 2-1. The puck, which deflected in off the stick of Storm defenseman Jalen Schulz, was the only one to get by Lavigne on the night.

Berger scored twice in a span of just over three minutes to open up the game and give the Storm a 4-1 lead.

The St. Louis native’s first tally came on a one-timer in the slot off a pass from Dan Labosky. His second was a deflection off an initial shot by Tory Dello. Berger now has 14 goals on the season.

The win was the first in Fargo for Tri-City since February 11, 2012.

Tri-City and Fargo will rematch Saturday night at Scheels Arena for their final meeting of the season at 7:05 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Garrett Gamez) 15:52

2nd Period

Tri-City – Ryan McMurphy (Patrick Curry, Kevin Kerr) 3:17
Fargo – Mikey Eyssimont (Garick Gray, Cam Ashley) 3:53
Tri-City – Chase Berger (Daniel Labosky, Austin Poganski) 6:46
Tri-City – Chase Berger (Tory Dello, Daniel Labosky) 9:58

3rd Period

(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 11:12

2nd Period

Fargo – Michael Babcock – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 16:21

Tri-City – Patrick Curry – (Facemask), 2 min, 19:33

3rd Period

Tri-City – Austin Poganski – (Checking From Behind) (Double Minor), 4 min, 3:59
Tri-City – Austin Poganski – (Checking From Behind), 10 min, 3:59

Power Play

Tri-City –0/1

Fargo – 0/4

Shots

Tri-City: 6, 14, 2, = Total: 22
Fargo: 7, 14, 18, = Total: 39

Saves

Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 38/39
Fargo – Mathias Israelsson – 18/22

10 Storm Alumni To Battle In NCAA Tournament

Posted on March 26, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – When the 2014 NCAA men’s hockey tournament kicks off on Friday afternoon across the family of ESPN networks, 10 former Storm players will represent eight different teams attempting to capture this year’s national championship.

The No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, Minnesota, led by Big Ten player and goaltender of the year Adam Wilcox, will be in the West Regional.

Wilcox has been outstanding all year for the Golden Gophers, winning 23 games and posting a 1.91 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. The sophomore will be right at home when the Gophers open up against Robert Morris in his hometown of St. Paul, Minn.

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

Three Storm alums represent the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, Ferris State. Jason Binkley, Dominic Panetta and Simon Denis help comprise a Bulldogs roster that will look to get back to the Frozen Four for the second time in three seasons.

Binkley has been one of the Bulldogs’ top defenseman in his junior year, scoring three goals and 21 assists in 39 games. Panetta, teammates with Binkley in Tri-City during the 2010-11 season, has two goals and five assists in 22 games.

Denis, another member of the 2010-11 Storm team, played six games before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Three members of the Storm’s 2012-13 roster from last season have also earned a place in the tournament. They include Michael Vecchione, Trevor Mingoia and Trevor Moore.

Vecchione, who led the Storm with 26 goals in 2012-13, has had a breakout season as a freshman at Union College. The Saugus, Mass. native scored 31 points in 34 games in his first season on campus that included 12 goals and 19 assists. His contributions helped Union to an ECAC Championship and a No. 1 seed in the East Regional.

Mingoia made a big impact with Providence College during the season’s final stretch, scoring 13 points in 24 games. The Friars have a first round matchup with Quinnipiac and could potentially see Vecchione and Union in the East Regional Final.

Moore also played an important offensive role in his freshman season at the University of Denver, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists in 41 games. Denver secured their spot in the tournament by winning the first ever NCHC Frozen Faceoff last weekend. The Pioneers will play Northeast Regional No. 1 seed Boston College in the first round.

A year ago, Moore was the leading scorer for the Storm, accounting for 63 points on 20 goals and 43 assists.

Other Storm alums in the tournament include the University of Vermont’s Mario Puskarich (2009-11), the Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year, Quinnipiac forward Soren Jonzzon (2010-12), and North Dakota defenseman Andrew Panzarella (2009-10).

All NCAA Tournament regional games will take place from March 28-30. The Frozen Four gets underway April 10 in Philadelphia.

The 2014 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship bracket can be found here.

Tri-City will now hit the road for four games over the next two weekends in Fargo, Sioux City and Des Moines. Catch all the action on The Breeze 94.5 FM beginning with the Viaero Wireless Pre-Game Show from Fargo on Friday night at6:45 p.m.

The Storm’s final game of the 2013-14 season, Fan Appreciation and Anderson Cup Tribute Night, is scheduled for April 5 against Lincoln at 7:05 p.m. at the Viaero Event Center.

Mary Lanning Benefits From Storm Partnership

Posted on March 26, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm’s Jerseys For a Cause program raised a total of $1,965 in the month of March. All proceeds have been donated to Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, Neb.

Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, the program benefits a different organization each month. At each home Tri-City Storm game, a limited edition pink jersey worn by the team during Pink In The Rink night on Oct. 4against Sioux City is raffled off to fans who donate.

The Storm are proud to have such a great growing partnership with Mary Lanning Healthcare. On Saturday, March 8, over 750 Mary Lanning Healthcare employees and families participated in a pre-game party featuring a Hockey 101 session led by Storm head coach Jim Hulton.

Also during the month of March, Tri-City Storm players visited Mary Lanning Hospital where they handed out pucks and teddy bears to patients and interacted with the staff.

“This is the second year we’ve been able to partner with Mary Lanning Healthcare and it was a great success for everyone involved,” said Alicia Korte, Group Sales and Customer Relations Manager. “We look forward to expanding our relationship and bringing more players to their great facility in the future.”

The Jerseys For a Cause program will combine the months of February and April with a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Tri-City will now hit the road for four games over the next two weekends in Fargo, Sioux City and Des Moines. The series with the Force at Scheels Arena starts on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

The Storm’s final home game is scheduled for April 5 against Lincoln at 7:05 p.m.

NCS Donates $1,500 In ‘Dash For Cash’

Posted on March 24, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – At the first ever ‘Dash For Cash’ promotion Saturday night during the Storm’s game with the Green Bay Gamblers, NCS Equipment donated a total of $1,500 to Shelton Public Schools and Kearney Elementary Schools, including Buffalo Hills, Northeast and Windy Hills.

During the first intermission Saturday night, representatives from the four schools were brought on the ice. Each participant started at the goal line and dashed to center ice, where $1,500 was spread out.

The four contestants had 30 seconds to stuff as much money as possible into a Tri-City Storm t-shirt they were wearing. When time was up, whatever they collected would be given to their respective school.

Shelton ended with the most, bringing in $349.75. Norheast grabbed $263.50, while Buffalo Hills had $207 and Windy Hills finished with $185.25.

At the conclusion of the contest there was $494.50 left over. NCS split the remaining money between the four school groups, giving each organization an extra $123.63.

NCS was the presenting sponsor of the competition. The Nebraska based company offers one of the largest fleets of late model rental equipment machinery.

Tri-City will now hit the road for four games over the next two weekends in Fargo, Sioux City and Des Moines. The series with the Force at Scheels Arena starts on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

The Storm’s final home game is scheduled for April 5 against Lincoln at 7:05 p.m.

Gamblers Score Four In First, Hold Off Storm

Posted on March 23, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Four first period goals gave the Green Bay Gamblers (26-22-6) an early lead to knock off the Tri-City Storm (19-33-3) 5-2 at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night.

Both Storm goals were USHL firsts, as affiliate player Jake Wahlin scored in the opening period and defenseman Grant Hutton was credited with a tally in the second.

Wahlin got Tri-City on the board and secured an early lead, scoring at 4:37 of the first frame. The play was started by Garrett Gamez, who completed a give-and-go play with Cody Milan and found the affiliate forward open in front of the net for a tap-in goal.

Green Bay responded quickly however, as Aaron O’Neill scored his first goal of the season 21 seconds later to tie the game at 1-1.

The Gamblers scored three more times in the first to take a 4-1 lead. Goals were tallied by forwards Dawson Cook, Ryan Lough and Ryan Siroky.

Tri-City pulled within two in the second when Hutton scored his first in his 15th USHL game after he was acquired at the trade deadline.

The Storm outshot Green Bay 27-13 in the final 40 minutes, but couldn’t get any closer.

The final goal was netted by Nick Schmaltz and it secured the 5-2 victory for the Gamblers.

Hayden Lavigne got the start in net for Tri-City and finished with 24 saves, while Cam Hacket picked up the win for Green Bay with 33 stops.

Tri-City will now hit the road for four games over the next two weekends in Fargo, Sioux City and Green Bay. The series with the Force at Scheels Arena starts on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

The Storm’s final home game is scheduled for April 5 against Lincoln at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel, Drew Mayer, Joey DiBenedetto, Nick Hutchison and Patrick Curry, along with defensemen Cutler Martin, Sean Lang, Fredric Larsson, Tory Dello and goaltender Jacob Johansson…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Garrett Gamez, Cody Milan) 4:37
Green Bay – Aaron O’Neill (Jordan Gross) 4:58
Green Bay – Dawson Cook (Matthew Weis, Nick Schmaltz) 6:13

Green Bay – Ryan Lough (Matthew Weis) 13:09

Green Bay – Ryan Siroky (Drew Best) 19:28

2nd Period

Tri-City – Grant Hutton (Garrett Gamez, Cody Milan) 14:20

3rd Period

Green Bay – Nick Schmaltz (power play) (Matthew Weis, Connor Hurley) 11:48

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 8:54
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Checking From Behind) (Misconduct), 10 min, 8:54
Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Interference), 2 min, 14:48
Green Bay – Nick Schmaltz – (Hooking), 2 min, 15:39

2nd Period

Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Checking From Behind), 5 min, 2:36
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Checking From Behind) (Misconduct), 10 min, 2:36
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Fighting), 5 min, 2:36
Green Bay – Jordan Gross – (Fighting), 5 min, 2:36
Green Bay – Jordan Gross – (Fighting) (Instigator), 2 min, 2:36
Green Bay – Jordan Gross – (Fighting) (Instigator) (Game Ejection), 10 min, 2:36
Green Bay – Patrick Polino – (Tripping), 2 min, 8:35
Tri-City – Matthew Freytag – (Head Contact), 2 min, 16:53
Tri-City – Kevin Kerr – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 18:26
Green Bay – Dawson Cook – (Interference), 2 min, 19:59

3rd Period

Green Bay – Dawson Cook – (Elbowing), 2 min, 9:42
Tri-City – Daniel Fritz – (Interference), 2 min, 11:15
Tri-City – Kevin Kerr – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 19:00

Power Play

Green Bay –1/7

Tri-City – 0/4

Shots

Green Bay: 16, 9, 4, = Total: 29
Tri-City: 8, 19, 8, = Total: 35

Saves

Green Bay – Cam Hackett – 33/35
Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 24/29

Labosky Scores Late Winner For Storm

Posted on March 21, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (19-32-3) got a goal in the final two minutes from Dan Labosky and held on to defeat the Green Bay Gamblers (25-22-6) by a final score of 2-1 at the Viaero Event Center on Friday night.

Storm goaltender Hayden Lavigne secured his fifth win of the season by making 36 stops. The saves included some late-game chances for Green Bay in the third that gave Tri-City the win in the first of a weekend two-game series.

After a scoreless first period in which the Storm outshot Green Bay 14-8, the Gamblers took the lead with a goal by Jake Linhart at 2:02 of the middle frame.

It remained 1-0 for the majority of the period, but Tri-City gained momentum in the closing seconds when Chris Wilkie evened the game, scoring his 15th goal of the season.

After taking a pass from affiliate player Matthew Freytag, Wilkie had his shot deflect off a Green Bay defenseman’s stick and past Gamblers’ netminder Cam Hackett. The assist for Freytag was his first career USHL point in his fourth game.

The game stayed tied at 1-1 all the way until Labosky’s winner with just 1:48 left in the third. The Edina, Minn. native had missed an open net earlier in the game while Tri-City was shorthanded, but he redeemed himself at the perfect time.

Labosky won a race to a loose puck in the neutral zone and deked around a poke-check from Hacket before putting a backhand shot into the net.

Tri-City only had three shots on goal in the final period and were behind 37-24 in shots on goal at the end of the night, but Labosky’s was the one that mattered late in the game.

The two teams will have a rematch on Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center that gets underway at 7:05 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Green Bay – Jake Linhart (unassisted) 2:02
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Matthew Freytag) 19:30

3rd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky (unassisted) 18:12

PENALTIES

1st Period

Green Bay – Jake Linhart – (Interference), 2 min, 13:03
Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 18:46

2nd Period

Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Tripping), 2 min, 3:37
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Roughing), 2 min, 9:27
Green Bay – Colin Sullivan – (Roughing), 2 min, 9:27
Green Bay – Alex Robert – (Holding), 2 min, 12:50

3rd Period

Tri-City – Daniel Labosky – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:32
Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:32
Green Bay – Evan Tironese – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:32
Green Bay – Jake Linhart – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:32

Power Play

Green Bay –0/2

Tri-City – 0/2

Shots

Green Bay: 8, 15, 14, = Total: 37
Tri-City: 14, 7, 3, = Total: 24

Saves

Green Bay – Cam Hackett – 22/24
Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 36/37

Poganski’s Growth Soaring To New Heights

Posted on March 21, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Consistency hasn’t been one of the Tri-City Storm’s strong points during the 2013-14 season.

The team has had their share of winning and losing stretches, November brought about a coaching change and the roster has had its share of turnover.

But one thing the Storm have had going for them throughout the rough patches has been the play of forward Austin Poganski.

While leading the current roster in goals with 18, and 12 of them coming at the Viaero Event Center, it’s Poganski’s size, skill and attitude that have him ranked as one of the top NHL prospects in the USHL.

“Austin has been a treat to work with since day one,” Storm head coach Jim Hulton said. “He brings a consistent approach to the game and works extremely hard. He’s a student of the game and I think that’s why we’ve seen such an impressive progression with his play and production.”

Hulton attributes Poganski’s recent success from his superior strength that shows in each area of the ice.

“He’s a big body that is just starting to understand how strong and powerful he is and we’ve started to see him emerge as a true power forward here in the last month.”

Poganski, a product from the land of 10,000 lakes in St. Cloud, Minn., has certainly had his success this season as his coach mentioned, but more importantly, his game has elevated as the year has progressed.

“Confidence has been something I’ve worked on since coming from high school hockey to juniors,” Poganski said. “Starting at the beginning of the year having confidence with the puck and getting used to the league was important. With coach Hulton here now, he’s really emphasized playing my game and being patient, letting things come to me.”

Tri-City’s special teams numbers have been nothing special this season with the exception of Poganski, who has scored 10 times on the power play, tied for second place amongst USHL league leaders. He’s added three more goals while the Storm were shorthanded.

Poganski attributed a lot of his success with the man-advantage to the rest of the power play unit that includes his defensemen who know where to find him.

“It’s really a system thing with the power play,” Poganski said. “You have the guys up top making the plays and getting the hard shots and I’m in front battling away. I give a lot of credit to the defense that are shooting for my stick. I don’t really have to do too much besides sit in front and let it go off me.”

Hulton thinks his big forward is being humble with his assessment.

“He has embraced that role at the net front and really it’s been easy,” Hulton said. “We’ve shown him some clips of how we want him to perform and he’s done it right from day one which is rare and very nice from a coach’s eyes.”

No matter who you give the credit to, Poganski’s play has him in a good spot to be selected in June’s NHL Draft. At 6-foot two-inches and 198 pounds, the forward was ranked No. 72 in January’s NHL Central Scouting North American Midterm Rankings.

While the upcoming draft is hard to take his mind off of, Poganski said he’s trying to keep his focus on his development and doing the right things each day while in Kearney.

“It’s always on your mind,” Poganski said of the draft. “It would be a lifetime dream but you try not to think about it until after the season and you just worry about things in Tri-City, finishing out the year strong here. The experience of playing in the USHL now is awesome and I’m taking it day by day.”

The Storm have just seven games remaining and only a few more chances for Poganski to make a lasting impression before draft day.

“He hasn’t gotten fixated on stats, but because of the way he approaches the game now he is getting those stats,” Hulton said. “He’s playing in straight lines, he’s powerful and uses his speed to his advantage and he’s really increased his shot totals. He’s scored some timely shorthanded goals and some five-on-five goals so there again his well-rounded game is what makes him so attractive.”

It won’t be long before Poganski can appreciate his long, hard work of a 60-game USHL season.

When asked what it would feel like to be selected by an NHL franchise, Poganski said, “being drafted would be amazing.”

Tri-City will host the Green Bay Gamblers for two games this weekend. The first begins Friday night at 7:30 and the series concludes on Saturday at 7:05.

Boy, 11, Signs 1-Day Deal with Pro Hockey Team

Posted on March 19, 2014

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan boy who said he didn’t want an 11th birthday party because he had no friends is getting a new gig.

Professional hockey player.

Colin and his family were surprised by players, coaches and representatives of the Kalamazoo Wings at a restaurant Tuesday. The team presented the Richland boy with a one-day contract that will allow him to join the Wings for their home game Sunday.

Colin has a condition similar to Asperger’s syndrome that makes it difficult to relate to peers. His mother created a “Happy Birthday Colin” Facebook page that drew more than 2 million “likes.” He also received thousands of cards.

The family asked that their last name not be used.

Colin tells the Kalamazoo Gazette (http://bit.ly/1gG57hO ) that the outpouring of affection has “been very heartwarming.”

Former Storm Goaltender Adam Wilcox Named B1G Player of the Year

Posted on March 18, 2014

Former Tri-City Storm goaltender and current sophomore at the University of Minnesota Adam Wilcox was named the first ever Big Ten Player of the Year on Monday afternoon.

From the Big Ten release:

The Big Ten Conference announced the hockey All-Conference teams and individual award winners on Monday as selected by the conference’s coaches and a media panel. Minnesota’s Adam Wilcox was named Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year. Fellow Gopher Mike Reilly earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, awarded to a defenseman or forward, while Minnesota head coach Don Lucia was tabbed Coach of the Year. Michigan’s JT Compher collected Freshman of the Year laurels.

Wilcox led the conference in every goaltending category en route to Big Ten Player and Goaltender of the Year honors. The sophomore allowed just 30 goals in 18 conference games, for a goals-against average of 1.64. No other Big Ten goaltender posted a goals against average of less than 2.00. Wilcox recorded 479 saves and a .941 save percentage en route to a 13-2-3 conference record.

While with Tri-City during the 2011-12 season, Wilcox played in 34 games and had an overall record of 16-17-1. The goaltender finished with a goals against average of 2.77 and a save percentage of .916. Wilcox’s play down the stretch helped Tri-City secure a playoff berth, finishing in sixth place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 53 points.

The Storm are back in action this weekend when they host the Green Bay Gamblers for a weekend series.Friday night’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s action starts at 7:05.