General | 2/21/2026 9:24:40 PM

Sioux City opened the night with a bang, scoring six goals in the first period to build a huge lead over Muskegon. The Jacks answered using the powerplay in the second to cut the lead in half. Carter Sanderson and Adam Belusko added two more goals in the final frame for Muskegon, but the Musketeers held on to get the win 6-5. 

Elsewhere around the league... Tri-City skated away with a 6-0 win against the NTDP. Slovakian newcomer Adam Obusek scored his first USHL goal... Waterloo held onto the lead for most of the game until Youngstown tied it up, then took a late lead. The Black Hawks answered, forcing overtime when Cullen Emery scored his second of the night before time expired. Jack Hextall would go on to score the winner in the extra frame, giving the Phantoms the 6-5 win... Green Bay and Chicago combined for five goals in the first, but the Gamblers went into the intermission with a 4-1 lead. It was all Green Bay in the final two periods as they went on to beat the Steel 7-1. Landon Hafele and David Rozsival both had a pair of goals for the Gamblers... Cedar Rapids surrendered two leads and needed overtime to beat Dubuque. Rough Riders Connor Davis answered the call in the extra frame, scoring at 3:27 for the 5-4 win... Sioux Falls got the jump on Omaha early and went on to win 7-3. Logan Renkowski and rookie sensation Cooper Soller had two goals for the Stampede... Des Moines and Madison skated to a scoreless tie deep into the third period until Ryan Seelinger scored to give the Bucs the 1-0 win... Even though Fargo had the early 1-0 lead over Lincoln after one, the Stars surrendered two leads in the second, with Brady Zugec tying things up at 3-3. After skating a scoreless third and overtime periods, Alex Pelletier won it for Lincoln in a shootout.

By The Numbers

2 - Shutouts wins in a night filled with fireworks. Owen Nelson backstopped Tri-City, stopping all 21 shots faced, while Alan Lendak was a perfect 33-for-33 for Des Moines.

6 - Goals scored by Sioux City in the first period against Muskegon tonight.

10 - Skaters with multiple goals on the night. The Youngstown-Waterloo had the most with Evan Jardine and Jack Hextall for the Phantoms and Ty Mason and Cullen Emery for the Black Hawks.

23 - First Period goals across the league tonight. 

300 - Junior hockey games played for Fargo's Luke McNamara.

Three Stars

1st Star: Jack Hextall, F, Youngstown Phantoms
2G, OT GWG, 2A, 5 Shots, +2

2nd Star: Connor Davis, F, Cedar Rapids
1G, OT GWG, +2

3rd Star: Alan Lendak, G, Des Moines Buccaneers 
33 Saves, Shutout, W

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

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 90% 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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).