Stars Fall in Home Opener
October 1, 2022 – United States Hockey League (USHL) – Lincoln Stars News Release
Brennan Ali and Doug Grimes scored their first goals of the season but the Lincoln Stars dropped their first home game, 3-2, to the Sioux Falls Stampede on Friday night at the Ice Box.
The two teams combined for four goals in the third period, including both of the Stars’ goals. Lincoln (2-1) could not overcome a five-minute major penalty kill in which Sioux Falls (2-1) scored twice to take a permanent lead.
The Stars peppered Sioux Falls netminder Tucker Tynan with 34 shots. They outshot the Stampede by 12 and held a 13-6 advantage in the third period.
“We had chances in the first and second period,” Stars head coach Rocky Russo said. “We had 21 shots through the first two periods. The problem is that we probably missed the net nine or 10 times on top of that. When you have those grade-a chances you’ve got to be able to generate second and third chances. That’s where you are going to get your goals.”
It was a second-chance opportunity that put Sioux Falls on the board first. Ryan Gordon potted home a rebound at the 7:34 mark of the first period and that lead held for the Stampede until Ali’s equalizer. The Stars winger skated all the way from behind his own blue line and used his speed to cut to the net from the far side of the nice toward the net and flick a wrist shot past Tynan.
The aforementioned five-minute major led to a pair of goals 3:36 apart. Samuel Harris redirected a shot from the blue line off the stick of Maddox Fleming to score his league-leading fifth goal of the season.
Noah Andersson scored the second goal on the man advantage but then Doug Grimes scored at the 11:21 mark by crashing the net. Mason Marcellus’s shot from the left-wing circle was kicked out by Tynan to his left just as a Lincoln power play expired. The loose puck found its way over to Grimes back door, who transferred the puck from his skate to his stick and slammed it home to cut the deficit to one.
Cameron Whitehead stopped 19-of-22 shots in his third start between the pipes for the Stars.
The Stars look to get back in the win column next weekend. Their next game is on Oct. 8 against Omaha at 6:05 p.m. at the Ice Box.
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