Men's Ice Hockey | 4/9/2026 9:37:04 PM

The Des Moines Buccaneers built an early lead and held off a late push to defeat the Lincoln Stars, 3–2, in Game 1 of a best-of-three first round Clark Cup Playoff series on Thursday night.

Des Moines struck quickly, scoring twice in the first six minutes of the game. Cade De St. Hubert opened the scoring at 3:14, redirecting a shot from the point. Just over two minutes later, Rhys Wallin doubled the lead with a wrister from the right-wing circle.

Lincoln responded before the end of the period when Griffin Brown cut the deficit to 2–1 at 13:45, cleaning up a rebound in the slot. Despite the goal, Des Moines carried the momentum into intermission with a 10–7 edge in shots.

The Buccaneers extended their lead in the second period. Henry Major made it 3–1 at 5:01, converting on a feed from De St. Hubert, who recorded his second point of the night. Lincoln pushed back in the third period, getting within one on an unassisted goal from Layne Loomer at 8:43 after forcing a turnover with a strong forecheck.

However, Lincoln was unable to find the equalizer in the closing minutes.

The Buccaneers outshot the Stars 32–20 in the game. Alan Lendak, who made a key save on the penalty kill, turned aside 18 of 20 shots. With the win, Des Moines takes a 1–0 lead and will look to close out the series on Friday.

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).