Men's Ice Hockey | 4/11/2026 10:24:02 PM

Four teams advanced to the conference semifinal on busy Saturday night around the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Sioux City Musketeers 6, Tri-City Storm 2 | VIDEO RECAP

The Sioux City Musketeers used a fast start and a dominant third period to overwhelm the Tri-City Storm, 6–2, in Game 2 on Saturday night, completing the series sweep.

Sioux City controlled the tempo in the opening frame, jumping out to a 2–0 lead. William Tomko opened the scoring at 11:38, and Shayne Gould doubled the advantage late in the period on a one-timer below the right-wing circle.

After a scoreless second period, Sioux City appeared to pull away early in the third when Pavel Martinu and Trey Jefferis scored less than two minutes apart to make it 4–0. However, the Storm showed life midway through the frame. Cooper Ernewein broke the shutout at 9:54, and Ashton Dahms narrowed the gap to 4–2 with five minutes remaining.

However, Schultz and Martinu both found the empty net to ice the game and secure the win for the Muskies. Ryder Shea earned the win in net for Sioux City, turning aside 25 of 27 shots.

With the victory, Sioux City wins the best-of-three series 2–0 and advances to the Western Conference semifinals.

Madison Capitols 2, Green Bay Gamblers 1 (OT) | VIDEO RECAP

The Madison Capitols secured their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday night, outlasting the Green Bay Gamblers 2–1 in overtime to sweep the best-of-three series.

Following a scoreless first period defined by tight defensive play, the offense flickered to life in the second. Nolen Geerdes opened the scoring for Madison at 7:48, converting on a bar-down shot from the slot. The lead was short-lived, however, as Green Bay’s Zach Wooten answered back at 9:34 to pull the Gamblers even on a redirect in front. 

After a scoreless third period, Caleb Pittsley found the back of the net just 58 seconds into overtime. Caleb Heil picked up the win for the Capitols in net, turning aside 25-of-26.

With the 2–0 series sweep, Madison advances to the conference semifinals.

Muskegon Lumberjacks 5, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 2 | VIDEO RECAP

The Muskegon Lumberjacks punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday night, pulling away late to secure a 5–2 road victory and a series sweep of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Cedar Rapids jumped out to a quick lead just 1:20 into the contest when Nick Romeo found the back of the net. However, the Lumberjacks completely shifted the momentum with a dominant second period. Drew Stewart ignited the comeback with a shorthanded goal at 9:25, followed shortly by a Nathan Larioza tally and an unassisted goal from Max Cullen to give Muskegon a 3–1 lead heading into the second intermission.

The RoughRiders cut the deficit to one midway through the third period on a shorthanded goal by Connor Davis. However, the ‘Jacks pulled away late with a pair of empty-net tallies from Chuck Blanchard and Viktor Norringer to seal the win and the series.

Carl Axelsson picked up the win for Muskegon, making 18 saves on 20 shots. 

Lincoln Stars 6, Des Moines Buccaneers 3 | VIDEO RECAP

The Lincoln Stars completed a series comeback on Saturday night, defeating the Des Moines Buccaneers 6–3 in a decisive Game 3 to secure their spot in the Western Conference semifinals.

Lincoln set the tone early in the first period, jumping out to a 2–0 lead behind an opening tally from Casey Vandertop and an unassisted goal by Kade Kohanski. The Stars extended that lead to 3–0 early in the second period on a power-play goal from Nikolas Young. 

However, Des Moines mounted a fierce comeback with three unanswered goals from Ryan Seelinger, Blake Zielinski, and Luke Norcross to tie the game at 3–3 early in the final frame.

The tie lasted exactly 59 seconds. Alex Pelletier, who scored 48 goals during the regular season, reclaimed the lead for Lincoln at 3:32 of the third, then added a massive insurance goal with four minutes remaining to effectively put the game out of reach. Josef Eichler capped off the scoring with an empty-netter, assisted by goaltender William Prowse.

Speaking of, Prowse made 31 saves on 34 shots in net for Lincoln. The Stars will face Sioux Falls in the conference semifinals.

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).