Lincoln Stars Win Anderson Cup

Roenau Photography

General | 4/5/2025 10:07:35 PM

With a 4-3 overtime road win against the Madison Capitols on Saturday night, the Lincoln Stars clinched their fourth Anderson Cup in team history and first since 2003.

The Stars are 43-15-2-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) with 86 points and two games remaining in the 62-game regular season). The team has received standout performances from a pair of 2025 NHL Draft prospects in forward Jack Pechar and defenseman Jacob Rombach, as well as 20-year-old St. Cloud State commit Yan Shostak.

Lincoln previously won the Anderson Cup in 2000, 2001, and 2003, the first year the USHL transitioned to its current model as the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States. The Stars went 37-14-9 (W-L-OTL) during the 2002–03 regular season before capturing the Clark Cup later that year. Lincoln becomes the 10th team in the league’s Tier I era to win multiple Anderson Cups.

Lincoln’s Previous Anderson Cup Seasons:
  • 2002–03: 37-14-9 (W-L-OTL), 83 Points, 60 Games Played
  • 2000–01: 43-7-6 (W-L-OTL), 92 Points, 56 Games Played
  • 1999–00: 41-16-1 (W-L-OTL), 83 Points, 58 Games Played
Lincoln will celebrate its Anderson Cup victory at its final home game of the regular season on Friday, April 11, against Tri-City. The USHL regular season concludes on April 12.

The Anderson Cup has been awarded to the USHL’s regular-season champion since 1973. The annual award is named after Harold Anderson, a key figure in the formation of the Midwest Junior Hockey League, the predecessor to the USHL.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.