Thomas Scores Pair of Goals as Lancers End
BY MIKE PATTERSON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
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The Omaha Lancers got some offensive firepower from an unexpected
source Saturday night to beat the first-place Lincoln Stars.
Forward John Thomas scored a pair of goals to help lead Omaha to a 5-2
win in front of 5,619 at Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum. The loss, which halted the
Stars' win streak at 10, was Lincoln's first in regulation since Nov. 4.
"We worked hard as a group out there," Omaha Coach Mike Hastings said.
"That whole line of (left wing) John Thomas, (center) Brian Burns and (right
wing) Marty Guerin was especially good."
Thomas, who entered the game with two goals in 28 games, equaled his
season output by putting two shots past Lincoln goalie Justin Johnson. His first goal gave Omaha a 1-0
lead and his second helped the Lancers open a 3-0 advantage early in the third period.
"Lincoln is a big rival for us and we hate like anything to lose to them," Thomas said. "And coming off
that loss the night before made us want this one even more."
Omaha, a 5-1 loser against the visiting U.S. National team Friday night, forced the Stars to come from
behind all night. Thomas' first-period goal on a wrist shot put the Lancers on top and Omaha goalie
Marty Magers kept Lincoln off the scoreboard in the opening 20 minutes.
"Marty made three point-blank saves in that period against some of their best forwards," Hastings said.
"He was the difference early on."
A shorthanded goal by Jim Dahl early in the second period extended the Omaha lead, and Thomas'
second goal of the night gave the Lancers a seemingly insurmountable three-goal lead 3:58 into the final
period. But the Stars, who scored 10 goals against Sioux Falls the previous night, did not go quietly.
Ryan Young scored on the power play with 8:20 left and Brandon Bochenski, the leading scorer in the
United States Hockey League, made it 3-2 with 5:07 left. Bochenski's 29th goal of the season gave
Lincoln hope, but the Lancers responded less than a minute later with what proved to be the
backbreaker.
Forward Riley Riddell held the puck near the right faceoff circle before sending a shot toward the net.
Forward Dan Welch was in the line of fire and managed to tip the shot past Johnson for a 4-2 Omaha
lead with 4:28 left.
"They're such a good team that I had a feeling they'd make some noise in that third period," Hastings
said. "But that goal by Welch was huge for us."
Jake Fleming added an empty-net goal with 43 seconds left when his shot deflected off the stick of
Lincoln's Chris Fournier and in.
"They were better than us tonight," Lincoln Coach Steve Johnson said. "We didn't compete at the same
level we did Friday night and it cost us."
Magers steered aside 20 shots on the night before his 18th birthday to move his record to 7-2-1.
Johnson, who suffered his first loss of the season, made 26 stops.
The win boosted Omaha's record to 19-9-3 while the Stars dropped to 21-3-4. The Lancers, who sit in
third place in the USHL's West Division, closed within five points of the Stars.
Omaha returns to action Friday in a road game against Waterloo
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