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Around the League Road Runners...A pair of weekend wins have kept the Sioux City Musketeers on the winning track as the team has earned a point in the standings in five straight games (4-0-1). All four of their wins during that stretch have been on the road and they lead Western Conference teams with eight road wins. After scoring just seven goals over their previous six games (0-5-1), the Musketeers have been lighting the lamp more frequently with 19 goals over the last five contests and outscoring their opponents 19-9. Goaltender Matt Skoff has earned the start in each of the last five games posting a 1.55 goals-against-average, including allowing just one goal in each of the last three games. The Musketeers scored four goals in the second period of the 5-1 win over Lincoln on Friday, including goals just nine seconds apart by Max Gaede and Matt Paape. Forward Max McCormick (1g, 2a) had a three-point game. Maxim Gaudreault led the club to victory scoring both goals, including the game-winner shorthanded, in Sunday"™s 2-1 win over Sioux Falls.
The Naturals"¦A pair of USHL players had three-goal games over the weekend, but their accomplishments were even more impressive as they recorded natural hat tricks. With his team trailing 2-1 on Friday to Chicago, William Kessel pulled the Green Bay Gamblers even in the second period. He scored the next two goals in the third period to complete the hat trick and lead his club to a 5-2 win. Not to be outdone, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward Cason Hohmann scored two goals in the second period on Saturday vs. Waterloo and then tallied his third goal just 45 seconds into the third period for the natural hat trick.
Saints Sixth"¦Two more wins over the weekend for the Dubuque Fighting Saints have extended their win streak to six games, equaling the second-longest win streak in the USHL this season. Five of the six games during that stretch have been one-goal games. John Gaudreau tallied the game-winner in Friday"™s 4-1 win against Youngstown. It extended his point streak to seven games, a stretch in which he scored eight goals, including three game-winners. He leads the USHL with 15 goals and is tied for the lead with five game-winners. The Saints scored three goals in the third period on Saturday vs. Des Moines on the way to earning their 17th win of the season, tying for the League lead. Forward Shane Walsh scored his first goal of the season in the period and Riley Barber tallied the game-winner, his second goal in as many nights. Over the last four games, the goaltending tandem of Jackson Teichroeb and Matt Morris have combined to allow just five goals.
Storm Watch"¦Two road victories for the Tri-City Storm over the weekend snapped their three-game winless streak away from home and moved their winning streak to three games. Tri-City has won seven of their past eight games. Defenseman Rick Pinkston scored two goals in a span of six minutes, including the game-winner, in Friday"™s 4-2 win over Muskegon. The Storm captain has three goals this season which is a career high for him in his three USHL seasons. Forward Matt Johnson tallied two goals, the second of which was the overtime winner in the 3-2 victory over Chicago on Saturday. It was Johnson"™s second two-goal game over his last five contests and he has tallied the winner in each of those games.
Sweet Home Fargo"¦A pair of home wins for the Fargo Force has given them six straight games earning a point on home ice (4-0-2). The Force have scored 26 goals over their last six home games, including six goals in three of those contests. They scored five goals in the first period of Friday"™s 6-1 win over Team USA. Jimmy Mullin had four points (2g, 2a) in the period. Defenseman Brian Cooper had a three-point night (1g, 2a) and has nine points (4g, 5a) over his last six games. Tanner Kero also had a three-point effort (1g, 2a), his third straight game with a goal. Nick Oliver scored a goal in both weekend victories. The Force scored on all three of their attempts in the shootout of the 4-3 win over Sioux Falls on Saturday while goaltender Zane Gothberg turned away all three attempts he faced.
Notes"¦Omaha Lancers forward Nick Oddo scored two goals in the 4-2 win against Lincoln on Saturday. He has tallied four goals over his last four games and his second goal on Saturday was his 10th of the season, matching his goal total in 51 games last season. The Omaha native has scored 10-or-more goals in four straight USHL seasons"¦Dakota Mermis scored a goal for the third straight game for Team USA in Friday"™s 4-3 win over Indiana, his first three career USHL goals"¦The Des Moines Buccaneers scored three goals in less than five minutes during the third period of Friday"™s 5-4 win over Waterloo to snap a four-game losing streak. Justin Selman scored the game-winner and Dan DeSalvo dished out three assists in the game for the Bucs"¦Indiana Ice forward Blake Coleman tallied a goal for the fourth straight game in Friday"™s 4-3 loss to Team USA. It also extended his point streak to eight games, which equaled the second-longest streak in the USHL this season"¦Lincoln Stars defenseman Kyle Quick scored his first career USHL goal in the 4-2 loss to Omaha on Saturday"¦Muskegon Lumberjacks forward Charlie Taft scored two goals, including the game-winner, in Saturday"™s 3-2 win over Youngstown"¦Sioux Falls Stampede forward Bryan Moore is a plus-four over his last four games and has an even-or-better plus/minus in nine straight games"¦Mike Ambrosia scored a shorthanded goal for the Youngstown Phantoms in the 3-2 loss to Muskegon on Saturday, his second shorthanded tally over the last three games"¦The Waterloo Black Hawks went 3-of-5 on the power play in Friday"™s 5-4 loss to Des Moines and lead the USHL with 26 power play goals this season.
What They are Saying"¦ "It's a really good feeling to know we're in first place overall going into the break. It's only going to give us more confidence that we can play with anyone when we come back for the second half."
- Dubuque Fighting Saints defenseman Joakim Ryan to the Dubuque Telegraph Herald as the Saints head into the holiday break leading the Western Conference and are tied for the League"™s best record with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (17-4-2).
Upcoming Schedule No games until December 28th
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates its ninth season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2010-11. With over 200 players this season already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 15 NHL Entry Draft picks on League rosters, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at http://www.ushl.com/.
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