KEARNEY, Neb. –11 former Tri-City Storm players will represent eight different schools in the 2015 NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament this weekend, attempting to move on to this year’s Frozen Four in Boston on April 9.

Tri-City is well represented on two of the No. 1 seeds in North Dakota and Miami. Austin Poganski (2013-14) and Andrew Panzarella (2009-10) will be in the lineup for the Fighting Sioux, while Chris Joyaux (2009-11), Cody Murphy (2009-11) and Blake Coleman (2009-10) are on the roster for the RedHawks.

Murphy has had a big year with Miami in his senior season, scoring 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 39 games. The RedHawks, who recently won the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Championship, will battle Providence College in the East Regional on Saturday.

One of Providence’s leading scorers is Trevor Mingoia (2012-13), who has 27 points on 13 goals and 14 assists during 36 games this season. The sophomore was one of Tri-City’s leaders two seasons ago, scoring 39 points in just 43 games.

The other contest in the East Region features Denver University and forward Trevor Moore (2011-13). Moore was recently named Forward of the Year in the NCHC after leading the conference in scoring with 42 points on 21 goals and 21 assists. The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native had 95 points during his two seasons in Kearney.

Poganski has played in 35 games for North Dakota during his freshman season, scoring four goals and assisting on 10 others. An NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues last summer after appearing in 55 games for Tri-City, Poganski and his Fighting Sioux teammates will go up against Quinnipiac on Friday night in Fargo, N.D. at Scheels Arena.

Quinnipiac also has a former Storm forward on their roster in junior Soren Jonzzon (2010-12). Jonzzon has eight goals and seven assists in 37 games with the Bobcats this season.

Former Storm goaltender Adam Wilcox will make his third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament with the Golden Gophers, after helping lead his team to a Big Ten conference title last weekend.

Wilcox has 22 wins this season with a 2.38 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. The junior expects to be in between the pipes when Minnesota takes on Minnesota-Duluth in Manchester, N.H. on Friday night. The goaltender played 34 games for the Storm in 2011-12 and led Tri-City to the 2012 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs.
Other Storm alums in the tournament include Joel L’Esperance (2012-14) with Michigan Tech and Tim Bonner (2011-13) with Yale University.

In his freshman season with the Huskies, L’Esperance has been a big contributor, scoring 16 points in 28 games. Michigan Tech takes on St. Cloud State in their opening game in Fargo, while Yale battles Boston University in Manchester.

All NCAA Tournament regional games will take place March 27-28 and will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. The 2015 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship bracket can be found here.

The full list of former Storm players to reach the tournament can be seen below.

Tri-City continues their six-game homestand this weekend when the Fargo Force come to town for a weekend series. Friday’s game starts at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’scontest begins at 7:05.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.

Former Storm Players In The 2015 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament
Tim Bonner – Forward – Yale University
Blake Coleman – Forward – Miami University
Soren Jonzzon – Forward – Quinnipiac University
Chris Joyaux – Defense – Miami University
Joel L’Esperance – Forward – Michigan Tech University
Trevor Mingoia – Forward – Providence College
Trevor Moore – Forward – Denver University
Cody Murphy – Forward – Miami University
Andrew Panzarella – Defense – University of North Dakota
Austin Poganski – Forward – University of North Dakota
Adam Wilcox – Goalie – University of Minnesota

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (34-14-6) finished off a sweep of the Des Moines Buccaneers (21-19-13) with a 4-2 win at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night.

Alec Dillon made 27 saves to earn the victory, while Tri-City got goals from Bobby Nardella, Vince Pedrie, Jake Wahlin and Cody Milan. Forward Dan Labosky added two assists in the win, and finished as the only Storm skater with a multi-point night.

Tri-City got out to a good start early and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on Nardella’s ninth goal of the season. Assisted by Kyle Eastman, Nardella free in between the circles and put the puck over Des Moines goalie Ryland Pashovitz for his second goal of the weekend.

Now with 37 points on the season, Nardella has tied the single season mark for a Storm defenseman, set by Chris Nathe during the 2002-03 season. The Notre Dame commit has also tied Nathe’s record for assists by a defenseman with 28, set in the same season.

Three straight second period goals pushed Tri-City’s lead to 4-0, giving them control of the game. First, Pedrie ripped a shot by Pashovitz’s glove at4:38, using Chase Berger as a screen in front. Both Labosky and Kevin Kerr were awarded assists on the play.

Next, Wahlin was set up in front by Mason Appleton for his 12th tally of the season at 16:32 of the middle frame. Chris Wilkie picked up the second helper for his team leading 48th point of the season.

Milan finished off the Storm scoring for the night, scoring on a one-timer from Labosky just 30 seconds after Wahlin’s goal. Milan now has 11 goals and 23 points while appearing in all 54 Storm games this season.

Des Moines made an attempt at a comeback, getting goals from Tanner Karty and Ryan Dmowski, to cut the Storm lead to 4-2 early in the third, but Tri-City was able to hold on for the victory.

Pashovitz made 23 saves for the Buccaneers in the loss. Despite being out-shot 11-3 in the first period by Tri-City, Des Moines edged the Storm 29-27 in shots on goal in the game.

The Storm sit in first place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 74 points and six games remaining in the regular season.

Tri-City continues their six-game homestand next weekend when the Fargo Force come to town for a weekend series. Friday’s game starts at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s contest begins at 7:05.

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

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (Kyle Eastman) 13:03

2nd Period

Tri-City – Vince Pedrie (Kevin Kerr, Dan Labosky) 4:38
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Mason Appleton, Chris Wilkie) 16:32
Tri-City – Cody Milan (Dan Labosky) 17:02
Des Moines – Tanner Karty (Miha Zajc, Vince Marinaro) 17:54

 

3rd Period
Des Moines – Ryan Dmowski (unassisted) 0:54

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Des Moines – Chris Allemon – (Tripping), 2 min, 9:30
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 14:59

2nd Period
Tri-City – Kevin Kerr – (Tripping), 2 min, 7:50

3rd Period
Des Moines – Ara Nazarian – (Tripping), 2 min, 2:02

Power Play

Des Moines – 0/2

Tri-City – 0/2

Shots

Des Moines: 3, 15, 11 = Total: 29
Tri-City: 11, 12, 4 = Total: 28

Saves
Des Moines – Ryland Pashovitz – 23/27
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 27/29

KEARNEY, Neb. – Chase Berger’s short-handed overtime winning goal gave the Tri-City Storm (33-14-6) a 5-4 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers (21-18-13) and secured the team a berth in the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs on Friday night at the Viaero Event Center.

Berger’s tally was his 10th of the season, while Mason Appleton, Jake Wahlin and Kevin Kerr each had two point nights for Tri-City.

Appleton, who returned after missing three games with an injury, scored on the team’s first shot of the game. The forward deflected a shot from Chris Wilkie past Des Moines goaltender Ryan Ruck to make it 1-0 Tri-City at 1:23 of the opening period. Wahlin picked up the second assist on the goal.

After a penalty to Dan Labosky had Tri-City short-handed, Des Moines tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by Ryan Dmowski.

But the Storm responded to take a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period on defenseman Bobby Nardella’s eighth goal of the season. The tally came with assists by defenseman Mattias Goransson and forward Kyle Eastman.

Tri-City increased their lead in the middle period on goals by Kerr and Nick Master. Kerr scored on a rush into the offensive zone with pass from Wahlin. The defenseman put a shot up high that went into the top shelf of the net to make it 3-1. Appleton was credited with the second assist on Kerr’s sixth of the season.

After a Brennan Sanford goal brought Des Moines back within a goal, Kerr sprung Master free on a breakaway and the forward made it count for his 23rd goal of the year.

Two Des Moines goals from Dmowski and Georgy Gorodetsky tied the game for the Buccaneers in the first seven minutes of the third period.

With seconds left in regulation, Kerr took a double-minor penalty for high sticking that put his team short-handed for the final 27 seconds of the game and into the overtime period.

While the Storm were killing the penalty in overtime, Berger picked up a loose puck in neutral ice and raced into the Des Moines end. The forward made a backhand pass to defenseman Vince Pedrie who had joined the rush up the ice. After an initial shot by Pedie was stopped, Berger put the rebound into the net for the game-winner.

Ruck made 39 saves in defeat for the Buccaneers, while Jared Rutledge stopped 15 shots to earn the victory for Tri-City.

The Storm remain in first place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 72 points with seven games remaining.

Tri-City and Des Moines will complete their weekend series on Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag, Wade Allison and Nolan Aibel…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (Chris Wilkie, Jake Wahlin) 1:23
Des Moines – Ryan Dmowski (power play) (Georgy Gorodetsky, Alec Rauhauser) 9:55
Tri-City – Bobby Nardella (Mattias Goransson, Kyle Eastman) 15:48

2nd Period

Tri-City – Kevin Kerr (Jake Wahlin, Mason Appleton) 5:36
Des Moines – Brennan Sanford (Patrick Grasso) 11:32
Tri-City – Nick Master (Kevin Kerr) 15:15

 

3rd Period
Des Moines – Ryan Dmowski (Georgy Gorodetsky, Ara Nazarian) 4:07
Des Moines – Georgy Gorodetsky (power play) (Alec Rauhauser, Patrick Grasso) 6:53

Overtime
Tri-City – Chase Berger (short-handed) (Vince Pedrie) 1:29

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Hooking), 2 min, 9:41

2nd Period
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Slashing), 2 min, 11:32

3rd Period
Tri-City – Christopher Brown – (Hooking), 2 min, 6:30
Des Moines – Zach Jordan – (Tripping), 2 min, 8:55
Des Moines – Nicky Wolff – (Head Contact), 5 min, 9:46
Des Moines – Nicky Wolff – (Head Contact) (Game Misconduct) 10 min, 9:46
Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Roughing), 2 min, 12:35
Tri-City – Kevin Kerr – (High Sticking), 4 min, 19:33

Overtime
(no penalties)

Power Play

Des Moines – 2/4

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Des Moines: 8, 4, 7, 0 = Total: 19
Tri-City: 14, 13, 15, 2 = Total: 44

Saves
Des Moines – Ryan Ruck – 39/44
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 15/19

KEARNEY, Neb. – During the annual Ag Appreciation Night last Saturday, the Tri-City Storm raised $622 for the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Scholarship Fund.

The KACC Ag Committee scholarship will go to a current high school senior wishing to pursue a career in agriculture.

For the third consecutive year the Storm partnered with the chamber and committee members to provide a rebate on a percentage of tickets purchased.

A reception sponsored by Landmark Implement was held prior to the game with over 150 attendees.

Corporations that helped contribute to this fund include Bank of the West, Contryman & Associates, CW Farms, Edward Jones, Farm Credit Services, First National Bank, Heartland Bank, Landmark Implement, NebraskaLand National Bank, NU Tech Seed, Town & Country Bank, and UNL Extension.

Tri-City is currently at the top of the USHL’s Western Conference with 70 points, one ahead of second place Sioux City.

The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, hosting Des Moines for two games. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s is at 7:05.

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. – With a win in either game this weekend against the Des Moines Buccaneers at the Viaero Event Center, the Tri-City Storm will secure a spot in the 2015 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs.

It would be the team’s first playoff berth since 2012, when they finished in sixth place in the Western Conference before a first round exit at the hands of the Waterloo Black Hawks.

A spot in this year’s postseason would also secure the team’s first home playoff game since April 9, 2010, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Omaha Lancers.

Through 52 games this season, the Storm have an overall record of 32-14-6 and have 70 points, which puts them at the top of the West.

The last time the team topped the 30-win mark during the regular season was in the 2006-07 campaign, finishing with 36 wins and in second place in the West Division. Tri-City defeated Sioux City in a seven game series in the first round before falling in a Round Robin Quarterfinal series.

Tri-City is currently tied with Cedar Rapids for second in the Anderson Cup race, with both teams trailing Youngstown by one point.

Five of the team’s final eight contests will be played in Kearney against Des Moines, Fargo and Cedar Rapids.

The USHL regular season ends on April 11, with the Clark Cup Playoffs set to begin the following week.

Friday’s game with Des Moines begins at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s gets underway at 7:05.

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. – Although he’s still in his first season playing hockey in the United States, Tri-City Storm defenseman Mattias Goransson has made up his mind. He wants to stay.

Goransson has committed to play collegiately at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell with the River Hawks in the Hockey East conference.

A native of Grums, Sweden, Goransson visited the school’s campus last week and said it was all he needed to see.

“It was a great visit,” Goransson said “I really liked the campus and the rink was awesome. The players showed me around where they lived, and I really liked that everything was close.”

The defenseman has appeared in all 52 games this season for the Storm, scoring six goals and adding 19 assists for 25 points.

It has been an adjustment for the six-foot, three-inch blueliner, who had to learn to play on a smaller ice surface than what he was used to in Sweden. Goransson credited Tri-City assistant coach JB Bittner with helping him make the necessary changes.

“I’ve worked with JB almost every day it’s helped me improve my skills,” Goransson said. “The rink was new for me. It took time to get used to playing on the smaller ice but he’s really helped me get comfortable, be in the right position with my gap control, and protect myself when I get hit.

“You don’t have as much time here, but I can use my size here much more than I could on the bigger ice.”

Goransson, who played for Brynas J20 in Sweden during the 2013-14 season, said he values the chance to play at the next level while attending classes.

“It’s a big opportunity for me to combine school and hockey,” Goransson said. “You don’t have that opportunity in Sweden on a high level. It feels great to secure the next couple years, knowing what I’m going to do. I’m feeling good with it.”

Joining Storm forward Nick Master, who is already committed to play at UML, the two will become the fifth and sixth players in Storm history to move on to Lowell, and the first to wear a Redhawks sweater since Bill Eiserman in 2012. Bobby Robins, who made his NHL debut earlier this season with the Boston Bruins, played in Lowell from 2002-06 after spending the 2001-02 season in Kearney.

Including Goransson, Tri-City now has 19 players committed to play Division I college hockey.

Goransson is the sixth player on the roster to commit to a school in the Hockey East, joining Master, Tory Dello and Bobby Nardella (Notre Dame), Garrett Gamez (Providence College), and Christopher Brown (Boston College).

Tri-City leads the Western Conference with 70 points, and is one point behind the Youngstown Phantoms for the USHL lead with eight games remaining in the regular season.

“We want to win the Anderson Cup,” Goransson said. “We’re still in the race there. That’s exciting; we still have much to play for. We’re trying to make the best of it and get a good spot in the playoffs.”

The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, hosting Des Moines for two games. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s is at 7:05.

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. – On the heels of Saturday night’s win that moved the team into first place in the Western Conference, Tri-City Storm players Chris Wilkie and Tory Dello have been recognized by the USHL league office as players of the week.

Wilkie was named Forward of the Week after accounting for seven points on two goals and five assists in the team’s three games, while Dello was named Defenseman of the Week after scoring his first two goals of the season, including the game-winning tally against Omaha on Saturday night.

A commit to the University of North Dakota, Wilkie leads the league with 31 goals in 51 games. The forward is currently riding a 5-game point streak in which he has nine points on four goals and five assists.

The Omaha native also leads the USHL in four other categories including power play goals (14), shots on goal (257), game-winning goals (7), and shootout goals (7).

Wilkie started off his week with a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win over the Stars in Lincoln on Tuesday. He then picked up assists on each of the Storm’s three goals during Friday night’s loss to Lincoln. Wilkie assisted on Dello’s game-winning goal Saturday, before scoring his 31st of the season for some insurance in the third period of a 5-3 victory.

A Notre Dame commit, Dello has two goals and 14 assists with a +9 rating in 48 games this season. The defenseman also has an active point streak of four games, with two goals and two assists to go along with a +3 rating.

Both skaters are in their second season with Tri-City and are receiving their first honors of the season from the league. Other Storm players who have been recognized during the 2014-15 season include defensemen Bobby Nardella and Mattias Goransson, as well as goaltender Alec Dillon.

Tri-City leads the Western Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Sioux City.

The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, hosting Des Moines for two games. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s is at 7:05.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.