DES MOINES, IA. – Last weekend the Omaha Lancers had a weekend split with the Des Moines Buccaneers, with a 5-4 shootout win on the road and a 4-2 loss at home. Coming into tonight, both teams are coming off of losses from last night (3/29). With Omaha falling 6-2 at home to Tri-City and the Buccaneers losing 5-1 in Sioux City.
 
Des Moines and Lincoln Stars enter tonight's round of games with only five games left on the regular season and still sit tied for the final playoff spot in the west at 53 points. Meaning most likely, both teams will have to play "full steam ahead" through game 62. And although it would be a tall order for the two squads, the Sioux Falls Stampede are still in striking distance with a five-point lead over the two clubs.
 
The Bucs and Lancers played a physical, but clean first period of play as no penalties were accessed to either team.
 
The goaltending played a big factor through the opening 20 minutes with Omaha Goalie, Mikhail Yegorov and Des Moines Netminder, Ethan Dahlmeir both pitching shutouts. However, the Buccaneers controlled the majority of the first period in their attacking zone, tallying 12 shots compared to the Lancers' five.
 
Des Moines struck first just 44 seconds into the second period with Adam Zlinka netting his tenth of the year off a rebound forced by Jack Kernan for the 1-0 lead.
 
That lead would hold for the majority of the period until David Deputy and David Posma found themselves on a two-on-one rush. Posma met Deputy with a neutral zone feed leading to a short side, high shot by Deputy for his 15^th of the year. Improving himself to 31 total points, adding Posma's sixth assist on the season and made it a 1-1 game at the second break.
 
Similar to the second period, the Buccaneers put the puck in the net early to start the third. Just 3:46 in, Edison Engle had a slap shot one-timer from the top of the far side circle off a below the goal line feed from Davis Borozinskis. The goal ended up being the game-winner and was Engle's first of his United States Hockey League career.
 
The Lancers pulled Yegorov for nearly last three minutes of play at the end of the game, having themselves two scoring chances but were unable to tie the game. Falling on the road 2-1.
 
With Des Moines and Lincoln capturing two points, they are still tied for the final playoff spot in the west with four games left in the season.
 
The Lancers hit the road again next weekend for a Friday night game in Waterloo to take on the third-ranked Black Hawks. Puck drop is set for 7:05PM CT. and can be streamed on FloSports and Mixlr.