Five different players scored, and Anthony Sciere recorded his first career USHL shutout as the Omaha Lancers blanked the Sioux Falls Stampede, 6-0, on Friday night at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
Sciere made a season-high 43 saves in his third consecutive start and fifth straight game playing more than 47 minutes. He stood strong despite the Lancers being outshot, 43-35. His best work came in the second period, when he stopped all 19 Stampede shots.
Rylan Bydal scored twice for the first multi-goal game of his USHL career. Both goals came in the third period, with the first at even strength and the second on the power play.
Three of the Lancers' season-high six goals came in the third period. Five of the team's last eight goals over the past two games came in the final frame of regulation. A forward from each of the four lines scored an even-strength goal, and the Lancers also scored their third goal by a defenseman this season.
Omaha (3-5-1-0) scored first for the second time this season on a wraparound goal by Yegor Kim at the 18:09 mark of the first period. At the time, Kim had scored three of the Lancers' previous four goals dating to Oct. 16. He leads Omaha with six goals through the first nine games.
In the second period, the Lancers scored two goals less than a minute apart at even strength to extend their lead. Thaddeus McMahon pinched up ice to lead an offensive rush, darting to a loose puck at Sioux Falls' blue line along the far side. He spun and sent a backhand pass across the ice to Jack Stanius, who carried the puck to the front of the crease on the far side before finding Tanner Morgan at the near post at the 11:07 mark.
Carter Fogarty scored his first goal of the season just 57 seconds later. Caine Bickel intercepted a clearing attempt along the far wall, cut to the front of the net and passed to Fogarty alone at the near post.
Omaha erupted in the third period, and Bydal started the scoring just 51 seconds into the frame. In a battle for the puck just behind the goal line near the post, Bydal whacked at the puck on his backhand and scored through goaltender Ryan Cameron's five-hole to make it 4-0.
Ryder Reynolds added to Omaha's lead at the 4:09 mark of the third period. He received a pass off a faceoff win atop the far circle, cut to the net and roofed a shot past Cameron to chase the Stampede netminder from the game. Two of Reynolds' four career USHL goals have come against Sioux Falls.
Bydal wrapped up the Lancers' highest-scoring game of the young season at the 6:01 mark when he cashed in on the power play. Artem Prima lofted a pass from the right point to the net, and Charlie Vig redirected it to Bydal alone at the back door.
The Lancers take on the Tri-City Storm on Saturday night. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m. for Down Syndrome Awareness Night at Liberty First Credit Union Arena. The Lancers will wear specialty uniforms that will be auctioned off on the concourse behind Section 109 throughout the night until the end of the second period. Tickets for all Lancers home games can be purchased at lancers.com.
