RALSTON, NE (KELO.com) — The Sioux Falls Stampede built a 2-0 lead in the second period Saturday night, but couldn’t hold on as the Omaha Lancers rallied to tie the game and eventual take down the Herd in overtime, 3-2. Sioux Falls earns a point in the standings with the overtime loss after getting goals from Maddox Fleming and Will McDonough. Isak Posch turned aside 31 shots for the Herd who moved into a tie for 7th place in the West with the point.
Poor first periods have hurt the Stampede this season and they made sure to avoid that on Saturday night. After a back-and-forth start to the game, Sioux Falls netted the first goal of the game at 12:06 when Maddox Fleming took a pass from Dan Russell and split the defense through the slot and backhanded shot through the pads of Omaha goaltender Kevin Pasche for a 1-0 lead. The Lancers tried to respond, but the Herd kept them off the board and took a 1-0 lead into the intermission with Omaha outshooting Sioux Falls 7-6.
Sioux Falls killed off the rest of a penalty to start the second period and added to their lead at 4:15 when Will McDonough tallied his first career USHL goal. Seth Bernard-Docker sent a puck towards the front of the goal where McDonough grabbed it and waited for the goaltender to go down before lifting it over his pads and into the net for a 2-0 lead. Penalties would come back to bite the Herd as the Lancers would convert on their third power play of the night at 12:18 when Chris Hedden wristed a shot from the high slot through traffic and into the upper right-hand corner of the net to make it 2-1. Just when it looked like the Herd may take their one-goal lead into the intermission, the Lancers tied the game with 56 seconds remaining when Matt Romer wristed a shot from the right circle and beat Posch on the glove side to make it 2-2 after two periods. Omaha outshot Sioux Falls 14-7 in the period.
After neither team could find the net in the third, the game headed to overtime. Sioux Falls generated a couple opportunities, but Chris Hedden ended it 1:29 into the extra session when he blasted a shot from the left circle through the five-hole of Posch to give Omaha the victory.
Omaha outshot the Herd 2-1 in the overtime and 34-23 on the night. The Stampede went 0-for-1 on the power play and were 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Stampede return to action with a weekend homestand on Friday and Saturday night inside the PREMIER Center. On Friday, the Herd will host Omaha in a quick rematch at 7:05 PM before hosting Sioux City on Saturday night at 6:05 PM. Tickets for both games are available through the KELOLAND Box Office or Ticketmaster.
