Men's Ice Hockey 3/7/2026 11:08:00 PM Joel Norman

HOT START NOT ENOUGH VS. FARGO

HYLES SCORES TWICE AGAIN

Kole Hyles scored twice but the Omaha Lancers fell to the Fargo Force, 5-3, on Saturday night at Scheels Arena.

Omaha (12-36-2-2) scored the game's first two goals but then surrendered the next four. Fargo (32-15-3-2) evened the game up with less than a minute to go in the first period and then took the lead for good in the opening minute of the second period.

Hyles recorded his third multi-goal game of the season and second in as many days by scoring twice in the first period, first at even strength and then on the power play. Lefty Markonidis broke up a stretch of four consecutive Fargo goals by also scoring for a second straight day early in the third.

Similar to Friday, the Lancers raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first period as Hyles scored twice 2:54 apart. Ferry Netusil forced a turnover on the forecheck behind the Fargo net and found Hyles at the inner part of the left circle. He one-touched the pass in to help Omaha strike first for a second straight day at the 8:46 mark.

The Lancers got their first power play of the weekend 1:48 later and cashed in. Hyles hammered a one-timer from just above the top of the left circle for his 20th goal of the season. He is one of 29 players in the USHL to score at least 20 goals this season and the first Lancer since Nick Pierre scored 25 goals in 2023-24.

The Force got on the board at the 14:28 mark of the first when Nathan Delladonna blasted a one-timer from the far circle. Gavin Uhlenkamp scored as the trailer on an odd-man rush from the right-wing circle at the 19:19 mark of the first to even it up, 2-2.

Graham Jones put the Force ahead for good just 43 seconds into the second period after a couple of Lancers collided at their own blue line and Jones retrieved the loose puck and scored on a mini breakaway. Delladonna received a long stretch at the Lancers blueline from the Force zone by Cullen McCrate and scored his second of the night on a breakaway at the 16:15 mark of the second.

Markonidis pulled the Lancers within one goal when he scored right off a faceoff 2:45 into the third period. He was the first to the puck at the base of the left-wing circle and somehow wired the puck through as he was tumbling to the ice. That tally was Markonidis' 11th of the season and ninth as a Lancer.

Fargo restored its two-goal lead on its first power play of the game on a one-timer from Graham Greeder atop the right-wing circle at the 13:11 mark. Omaha challenged for goaltender interference but was unsuccessful.

The Lancers are at the Tri-City Storm next Friday and Saturday to continue this four-game road swing. Omaha's next home game is Mar. 15 vs. Lincoln for Mental Health Awareness Night. Tickets are available at bit.ly/LancersHKY

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