USHL Friday Rundown: Stars Clinch Postseason Berth, Muskegon Pulls Aways From Chicago, More

Recapping Friday's action around the USHL

Recapping Friday's action around the USHL.

Despite being outshot 31-24, the Lincoln Stars held on to skate past the Sioux City Musketeers, 2-1. With the win, the Stars clinched the sixth, and final, playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Lincoln tallied both goals in the first period, with Matt Maltais opening the scoring less than six minutes into the frame. The goal marked Maltais's eighth of the year and second in the last three games. 

Justin Mexico made it a two-goal lead for the Stars with under seven minutes left in the first period.

Sioux City's Hagen Burrows (2024) ended Yan Shostak's shutout bid in the second period. The Lincoln netminder stopped 30 of 31.

Six different skaters recorded multi-point efforts in the Muskegon Lumberjacks' 7-3 win over the Chicago Steel on Friday. 

Sacha Boisvert (2024) led all Muskegon skaters with two goals, including the go-ahead marker, with under seven minutes left in the second period. The North Dakota commit added his second of the night and 36th of the season just past the mid-way point of the third period. 

Matvei Gridin (2024) tallied his 37th goal of the season late in regulation and now has goals in seven of his last eight games. 

Joe Connor recorded a three-point night, scoring on a breakaway late in the second period. The Northeastern commit tallied assists on Cody Croal's 23rd of the season and Gridin's marker in the third period.

With a lineup of mostly affiliate players, the Steel saw Ryder Betzold and Teddy Mutryn pot their first career USHL goals in the contest. 

Jacks netminder Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev snapped a two-game skid and stopped 29 of 32 shots on goal.

The Youngstown Phantoms scored five unaswered goals in the team's 5-3 against NTDP U17s. Team USA's Jack Murtagh and Will Moore found the back of the net less than six minutes apart in the first period. 

Andrew O'Neill made it a three-goal advantage for the NTDP U17s early in the second period. Youngstown's Evan Jardine scored his first of two goals on the night at the 6:44 mark of the frame. 

Charlie Cerrato pulled the Phantoms within a goal late in the second period. Nathan Lewis tied the game just 34 seconds into the third period before Jardine added his second of the night, the go-ahead goal. 

Phantoms' Adam Pietila scored an empty-netter to put the game out of reach. Aiden Wright collected his third consecutive win, turning aside 23 of 26 shots on goal.

Colton Jamieson scored the overtime winner just 41 seconds into the extra session after Andrew Kuzma provided the equalizer with five seconds left in regulation in Madison's stunning 4-3 win over Green Bay.

Ryker Lee, making his USHL debut for the Caps, opened the scoring with just over five minutes left in the first period. Brendan Lamb made it a 2-0 lead for Madison early in the second period.

The Gamblers roared back with three straight goals, including Libor Nemec's 26th of the year. Lukas Peterson and Ben Poitras also found the back of the net. Madison netminder Carsen Musser (ARI) made 32 saves on 35 shots.

Green Bay remains one point ahead of Muskegon in the standings for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference going into Saturday's regular-season finale.

Despite a 2-1 final score, the Fargo Force and Sioux Falls Stampede combined for 74 shots on goal.

Mac Swanson (2024) opened the scoring for Fargo with his 26th of the year. The North Dakota commit now has goals in five of his last eight games. Harper Bentz doubled up Fargo's lead less than one minute into the second period.

Chris Pelosi (BOS) scored the Herd's only goal, ending Hampton Slukynsky's (LAK) shutout bid. The Force netminder stopped 37 of 38 and has wins in his last five starts.

Despite registering only 18 shots on goal, the Omaha Lancers defeated the Tri-City Storm by a 5-3 final score on Friday.

Lancers forward Nick Pierre led all skaters with two goals, marking his fifth multi-goal game of the season.

Artemi Nizameyev opened the scoring at the 4:04 mark of the first period to give Tri-City a 1-0 lead. However, the lead was short-lived as Omaha scored three straight, including Sam Scheetz's seventh of the season.

Ryan Smith brought the Storm back within one goal early in the second period, but Pierre restored Omaha's two-goal lead with the first of his two goals. August Fallon closed the gap on his 16th of the year for Tri-City, but Pierre potted the empty-netter with 36 seconds left in regulation to put the game out of reach.

Omaha's Kam Hendrickson turned aside 32 of 35 and now has wins in back-to-back games.

Noah Powell recorded his fourth hat trick of the season as the Dubuque Fighting Saints skated to a 6-3 win over the visiting Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday.

The Saints jumped out to a 4-0 lead within the first 31 minutes of play, with Powell accounting for half of those goals. Erik Pahlsson and Matthew Desiderio also found the back of the net to round out the scoring.

Gavin Lindberg ended Kevin Reidler's (OTT) shutout bid with under seven minutes left in the second period, marking his 19th goal of the season. However, Powell restored Dubuque's four-goal lead with his 43rd of the season to complete the hat trick.

Black Hawks forward John Mustard (2024) found the back of the net for the 29th time this season and now has goals in six of his last eight games.

Gavyn Thoreson scored late in the third period with the extra attacker on the ice. However, Pahlsson added his second of the evening, an empty-netter, for his 27th of the year.

Reidler improved to 26-5-4-0 on the season, making 26 saves on 28 shots.

Loa Milfors led all skaters with two goals and four points in the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders' 7-4 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers.

The Riders saw Colin Grable, Elliott Groenewold, and Niko Tournas find the back of the net within the first 25 minutes of play.

Ben Kevan (2025) potted his 23rd of the season and first of two goals on the night to open the scoring for Des Moines.

Milfors potted his first with under two minutes to play in the second period and added his second less than four minutes into the third.

James Norton turned aside 21 of 25 to snap a four-game skid for the RoughRiders.

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