General | 1/8/2026 9:59:37 PM

The Tri-City Storm rallied twice to defeat the Lincoln Stars 5-3 at the Ice Box, led by Paul Bloomer’s game-winning goal and a two-point night.

Brady Cunningham gave Lincoln the lead just past the halfway point in the first period. The Storm rallied, getting a power-play goal from Mason Jenson and a shorthanded marker from Cameron Springer to go up 2-1.

The Stars responded with goals from Drew DellaSalla and Nickolas Young during the second frame to regain the 3-2 lead, only to surrender another goal from Storm’s forward Connor Brown knot it back up.

Paul Bloomer scored the go-ahead goal for Tri-City early in the third period before the Storm added an insurance goal from Carson Pilgrim to get its second win against Lincoln this season.

The Stars maintain a 3-2 series lead over the Storm. The teams will square off two more times this weekend as the series shifts to the Viaero Center in Kearney, Feb. on Friday.

Three Stars

1st Star: Paul Bloomer, F, Tri-City Storm
1G, 1A, 2 Shots, +2, GWG

2nd Star: Connor Brown, F, Tri-City Storm
1G, 8 Shots, +3

3rd Star: Drew DellaSalla, F, Lincoln Stars
1G, 1A, 1 Shot, +1

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading 16–to 20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, 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), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede).