Men's Ice Hockey 3/20/2026 11:44:00 PM Joel Norman

LANCERS CONTINUE IMPRESSIVE MARCH, BEAT U17'S

The Omaha Lancers extended their point streak to four games with a 5-2 win over USA Hockey's National Team Development Program's Under-17 team on Friday night at Liberty First Credit Union Arena.

Omaha (15-36-3-2) earned its fourth win in the last six games and recorded a season-high 47 shots. After a scoreless first period and a slow start to the second, the Lancers erupted in the middle stages of the second period, scoring four goals in a 4:11 stretch with the first three coming in a 1:43 span.

One of the few things that the Lancers had struggled with over the previous five games was the second period. Omaha entered Friday night having been outscored in the second period, 7-5, since Mar. 6. Two weeks after that road trip to Fargo, the Lancers outscored the U17's, 4-1, in the middle frame.

Tanner Morgan put Omaha on the board first with his second goal in the last three games and eighth of the season at the 7:29 mark. Yegor Kim drove to the net from the far-board side after picking up the puck at the Lancers' blue line. His shot from the base of the circle was denied but Morgan cleaned up the rebound as Omaha struck first for the fifth time in its last six games and improved to 11-9-3-1 when scoring first.

Lefty Markonidis one-timed a cross-ice pass from Kole Hyles top shelf from the near wall just 58 seconds later to double up the Lancer lead. Markonidis's shot just barely found an opening between goaltender Eli Winters' left pad and the near post. His 12th goal of the season tied him with Kim for the team lead with four power-play goals. Markonidis has scored four times over the last eight games and has 8 points (4+4) in that span, including 4 points (1+3) over the last two games. His 10 shots Friday night marked a single-game high by a Lancer this season.

Ryan Aaronson made it 3-0, Omaha, in less than two minutes by one-timing the puck home from all alone in front. Ferry Netusil intercepted a pass at the far-post side that came from behind the net and found Aaronson just in front of the crease at the 9:12 mark. Aaronson has now scored in three of the last six games while recording at least one point in all but one of those games.

Kim picked up his second assist of the game on a two-on-one rush as he set up Artem Prima at the 11:40 mark of the second. Reese Lantz stole the puck away and passed it behind himself to Kim, who again streaked up ice on the left-wing side. Prima drifed wide toward the right-wing circle and one-timed the pass for his fourth goal in his 11th game as a Lancer. The all-Euro line of Kim, Prima and Israilov has combined to record 24 points over the last 11 games.

Kane Barch put the U17's on the board 25 seconds later on a shot from the near wall through the traffic at the 12:05 mark. Cannon Thibodeau scored the U17's other goal at the 7:46 mark of the third on a mini breakaway and a snipe top shelf.

Charlie Vig scored his third goal in the last two games just 47 seconds into the third period to help Omaha briefly restore the four-goal lead. Markonidis carried the puck into the zone all the way to the base of the near circle and attracted all of the defense's attention, allowing Vig to score from the edge of the right circle after receiving the pass.

Nils Maurins stopped 26-of-28 shots in his fourth consecutive game to earn his third win in his last three starts between the pipes.

The Lancers host the U17's again Saturday night at 6:05 to wrap up Alumni Weekend. Tickets are available at bit.ly/LancersHKY

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