Men's Ice Hockey | 3/13/2026 9:53:18 PM
A busy night around the USHL featured eight games, including an overtime thriller and several tightly contested matchups.
The Muskegon Lumberjacks scored three times in the second period to pull away for a 4–1 win over the Chicago Steel. Muskegon controlled the pace throughout the game, outshooting Chicago 52–17 and converting once on five power-play opportunities.
The Youngstown Phantoms earned a 4–3 overtime win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints after tying the game with a third-period goal.
Nils Sunde secured his first USHL goal for Dubuque before Evan Jardine scored the overtime winner to seal the victory for the Phantoms.
The Waterloo Black Hawks earned a 3–2 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers in a physical game that featured 26 combined penalty minutes.
Blake Zielinski scored the Buccaneers’ lone power-play goal, while Waterloo finished the night 0-for-5 on the man advantage.
The Omaha Lancers earned a 3–1 win over the Tri-City Storm after breaking the tie with two third-period goals. Omaha outshot Tri-City 32–19 in the game, while Omaha Lancers defenseman,
Blake Sinclair, found the back of the net for his first USHL goal in the victory.
The Fargo Force earned a 3–2 win over the USA Hockey National Team Development Program U17 team after scoring twice in the first period to take early control of the game. Fargo finished with a 38–23 advantage in shots, with
Brooks Cullen scoring on a breakaway as the Force held off a third-period push from the NTDP U17s.
The USA Hockey National Team Development Program U18 team earned a 4–2 win over the Madison Capitols in a tough battle.
Carter Meyer added a shorthanded goal in the third period as the NTDP finished with a 32–23 advantage in shots.
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders earned a 6–4 win over the Green Bay Gamblers in a physical contest that featured over 140 combined penalty minutes. The game remained tied heading into the third period before Cedar Rapids pulled away, finishing with a 28–20 advantage in shots.
The Sioux Falls Stampede earned a 6–4 win over the Sioux City Musketeers in a tough battle as both teams traded goals throughout the night.
Will Tomko netted his 20th of the season while Sioux Falls finished with a slight 32–27 edge in shots.
Three Stars
1st Star:
Blake Zielinski F, Des Moines Buccaneers
1G, 2A
2nd Star:
Evan Jardine, F, Youngstown Phantoms
1G (OT GWG)
3rd Star:
Carl Axelsson, G, Muskegon Lumberjacks
15 SV, 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).