Rival Bucs Open Playoffs for Lancers
After a grueling 56-game regular season, the Omaha Lancers switch their
mindset to the playoffs this week.
And who better to meet in the first round than their familiar rivals, the Des
Moines Buccaneers?
Omaha finished the season in third place in the West Division of the United
States Hockey League with a 35-15-6 mark and 76 points. That makes the
Lancers the fourth seed in the eight-team playoffs and sets up a
best-of-five matchup against the fifth-seeded Buccaneers in a series that
begins Friday at Ak-Sar-Ben.
Des Moines (32-21-3) has ousted the Lancers from the playoffs the past two seasons, but last year
was especially embarrassing to Omaha Head Coach Mike Hastings. The fifth-seeded Buccaneers
eliminated the fourth-seeded Lancers in the first round, a scenario that Hastings is determined to avoid
this year.
"To be honest, we had some guys on our team last year who acted as though they were ready to go
home after the long regular season," Hastings said. "I don't get that feeling with this team at all."
The Lancers still sputtered down the stretch this season, losing five of their last seven games. During
that stretch, Omaha twice blew two-goal leads it held entering the third period - something that had not
happened all season before that.
"Our inability to hold those leads is the only negative right now," Hastings said. "But I was really
encouraged by the way we came back in our last game against Lincoln."
The Lancers trailed the league-champion Stars 3-0 on Saturday night before rallying for three goals in
the third period. Omaha eventually lost in an overtime shootout.
"The game didn't mean anything to us in the standings," Hastings said, "and yet we didn't give up. That's
exactly the kind of attitude you've got to have going into the playoffs."
Pending the Buccaneers' official approval of the schedule in writing - which Hastings said is just a
formality - the series will start Friday in Omaha and then switch to Des Moines for Game 2. The third
game will be April 3 in Omaha, and if needed Game 4 will be April 6 in Des Moines and Game 5 will be
April 7 at Ak-Sar-Ben.
The other first-round matchups will send top-seeded Lincoln against eighth-seeded Sioux City,
second-seeded Green Bay against seventh-seeded Tri-City and third-seeded Sioux Falls against
sixth-seeded Cedar Rapids.
All six teams from the West Division made the playoffs while only Green Bay and Cedar Rapids
qualified out of the East Division.
"All the teams are so close that I think a lower seed will beat a higher seed in the first round," Hastings
said. "We just have to make sure it's not No. 5 beating No. 4."
