TRI-CITY STORM NEWS & NOTES - WEEK 10
Storm prep for a pair in Fargo this weekend, Omaha next Tuesday
Thursday, December 1, 2011
- Weekly News and Notes
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Print your rosters for Week 10:
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WEST FARGO, N.D. – The Storm closed the month of November winning three of their last four games and now look to start the month of December on a winning streak that would immediately move them up the Western Conference standings board.
Tri-City enters the weekend just one point back of the Fargo Force for seventh place, two points back of the Sioux City Musketeers for sixth place, and three points back of fifth place – Sioux Falls Stampede.
The Storm will play the Fargo on Friday and Saturday at Scheels Arena for the first time this season. Last season, the Storm finally beat the Force for the first time after Fargo entered the league in 2008-09. Tri-City would end up going 3-4-1 last season against the Force, after winning the first three meetings of the season series. Tri-City is 3-14-3 all-time against the Force and have gone 1-7-2 at Scheels Arena in three seasons.
Following the weekend matchup, the Storm will play the Omaha Lancers on Tuesday for the second time this season and the first time this season in Omaha. The Storm dropped the season opener 3-2 on Nov. 4 at the Viaero Event Center. Tri-City is looking for their first-ever win at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, as the Storm are 0-7-2 lifetime (including two playoff games) since the Lancers moved into the Civic Auditorium from the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa in 2009.
The Breeze 94.5 FM will air the next three games, as the Viaero Wireless Pre-Game Show will start at 7:15 p.m. on Friday and 6:45 p.m. on Saturday and Tuesday.
Tri-City Notes:
Tri-City Storm – 6-12-0, 12 pts (8th in Western Conference)
- Last game – Nov. 27 – 4-1 win vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
- The Storm are led in points and goals by C Nick Lappin – 16 points (10g, 6a)…Lappin is on a two-game point streak upon his return following a four-game absence due to injury
- LW Trevor Moore has seven points (4g, 3a) in the last seven games and now has five goals on the season with eight points
- Leading the setup is RW Kenny Brooks, who has 10 assists this season…Overall, Brooks has 14 points (4g, 10a) in 18 games…He is in the Storm’s Top 20 all-time (currently – 17th all-time) in assists (38), which has now passed Jesse Martin (played 2006-07)…Brooks is only one point from being in the Top 20 in points, and eight penalty minutes from being in the Top 20 in that category as well
- D Desmond Bergin, LW Thomas Nykopp and RW Michael Vecchione are ruled out for the weekend games due to injuries
- G Pheonix Copley (5-9-0) only allowed only three goals on the last 94 shots faced over the past three games, which lowered his goals-against average to 2.95 GAA and increased his save-percentage to .909… G Adam Wilcox (8-3-0) split is first two games for the Storm against Lincoln, but still has a solid 2.30 GAA and .923 SV%…Wilcox was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 6th round (178th overall) of 2011 NHL Entry Draft
- The power play is ranked 11th in the USHL going 12-for-87 (13.8%)…the penalty kill is also ranked 11th in the league at 79.8% (67-for-84)
Opponents Notes:
Friday, Dec. 2 @ Fargo Force – 5-11-3, 13 pts (7th in Western Conference)
Saturday, Dec. 3 @ Fargo Force
- Last game – Nov. 26 – 5-3 loss @ Indiana Ice
- C Austin Farley leads Fargo with 16 points (11g, 5a) and 53 penalty minutes in 19 games this season…Last season, Farley played in only 33 games and had 11 points (7g, 4a) and six penalty minutes
- D Brian Cooper, who is one of the top NHL prospect defensemen for the 2012 NHL Draft, has only played in 15 games and has seven points (1g, 6a) and 27 penalty minutes… Last season, Cooper had 33 points (11g, 22a), plus-15 rating and 132 penalty minutes in 51 games
- G Zane Gothberg (3-7-2) has a 2.73 GAA and .908 SV% in 12 games played this season…Last season, Gothberg was a backup to current Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha G Ryan Massa, but played in 23 games for the for the Force, posting a 14-8-0 record, 2.23 GAA, and .908 SV%…Gothberg was drafted in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins in the 6th round (165th overall) and is committed to play for the Univ. of North Dakota
- Fargo is ranked sixth in the USHL on the power play going 17-for-87 (19.5%)…The Force penalty kill is 75-for-91 (82.4%), which has them ranked ninth in the league
Tuesday, Dec. 6 @ Omaha Lancers – 9-8-2, 20 pts (3rd in Western Conference)
- Last game – Nov. 26 – 5-0 loss @ Green Bay Gamblers
- The Omaha Lancers will play the Storm for the first time in over four seasons without Bliss Littler in control of the clubs hockey operations…Littler was relieved of his duties as head coach and general manager
- Mike Aikens will be the interim head coach while Michael Zucker will serve as the team’s interim associate coach…Aikens and Zucker guided the Lancers to a 4-2 mark in early November while Littler was serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. Junior Select Team at the World Jr. A Challenge
- LW Casey Bailey leads all Lancers in goals and is tied for 17th among all USHL skaters with eight goals this season…Bailey (8g, 6a) enters the weekend tied with LW/C Tanner Lane (2g, 12a) for second on the team in scoring with 14 points each
- C Jimmy Murray continues to lead all Lancers in scoring and is tied for 10th among all USHL skaters in scoring with 17 points (5g, 13a)…Murray enters the weekend tied for second in the league with 13 assists
- D Kevin Schulze leads all Omaha defensemen in points and is currently tied for sixth among all USHL blue liners with 10 points (0g, 10a) this season…Schulze has registered four assists in 11 games since coming to Omaha from the Muskegon Lumberjacks
- G Alex Lyon (6-6-2) has seen his numbers drop to a 2.97 GAA and .898 SV%…Lyon’s numbers in October were an impressive 1.54 GAA and .945 SV%, while slipping during the month of November to a 3.86 GAA and .870 SV%
- Omaha’s power play is currently ranked 13th in the USHL at 12.5% (10-for-80)…the Lancers penalty kill is 61-for-71 (85.9%), which has them ranked fourth in the league