• Box Score: Sioux City 3, Omaha Lancers 2, SO
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SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Though they took more than twice as many shots as Omaha Saturday night, the Sioux City Musketeers still needed a shootout period for a 3-2 United States Hockey League victory.
The fifth-place Musketeers earned their second 3-2 win over first-place Omaha in the past 15 days to improve to 17-22-0 (34 points). The Lancers fell to 24-12-3 (51 points), and it was their first shootout loss since a 3-2 setback Nov. 25 to Dubuque.
Including the one shot awarded for winning the shootout, the Musketeers finished with 52 shots — 15 in each regulation period and six in overtime.
The good news in that is Omaha goalie Alex Lyon stopped 49 of Sioux City’s 51 shots, matching the single highest total number of saves in one USHL game this season.
Despite being outshot 15-7, the Lancers took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Ken Babinski backhanded his ninth goal of the season, and Dominic Sacco earned his fourth assist in just his 10th game with Omaha.
Sioux City tied it on Pontus Johansson’s goal at 1:42 of the second period.
But less than six minutes later, Jimmy Murray scored his 13th goal and team-leading 44th point to give the Lancers a 2-1 lead. Greg Gozzo got the puck to Murray on a cross-crease pass for the assist.
Once again the Musketeers got a quick goal out of the locker room to tie the game. This time it was Maxim Gaudreault, who scored his ninth goal of the season just 50 seconds into the third period after picking up a centering pass from Tim O’Brien.
After a scoreless overtime period, Sioux City’s Brad Robbins scored the only shootout goal.
Omaha begins a four-game homestand Friday with a 7:05 p.m. game against the Lincoln Stars at Civic Auditorium.
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