The Lincoln Stars scored twice in the third period to overcome a 2-1 deficit and defeated the Sioux Falls Stampede, 3-2, on Friday night at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

Jack Larrigan tied the game up with a shorthanded goal at the 6:54 mark of the third and Mason Marcellus scored the game-winner at the 18:30 mark to give Lincoln (14-7) its first win over Sioux Falls (8-11-2-1) this season. Friday's win also marked the Stars' second when entering the third period trailing.

"I challenged a lot of guys in the second intermission," head coach Rocky Russo said. "I said 'I love (Tanner Ludtke), I love (Doug Grimes) and I love (Patrick Raftery), but everyone on this team is so important and those guys aren't here right now, so who is stepping up? Who is filling those roles?' I thought Mason was awesome tonight. He's not 100-percent, he's gutting through some pain. So I said 'who else is matching his intensity right now?' We had a pretty challenging conversation and the response we got shows the type of character that this team has."

The Stars entered Friday night with the top penalty-killing unit in the USHL but had not scored a shorthanded goal this season. That changed when Keaton Peters won a faceoff directly back to Larrigan atop the right-wing circle in the offensive zone and his wrist shot whizzed past netminder Xavier Medina to tie the game at 2-2 at the 6:54 mark of the third period. It was the Stars' first shorthanded tally since April 16.

That goal came after Sioux Falls had scored twice in the second period to tie and take the lead. Brennan Ali scored the only goal of the first period. Boston Buckberger intentionally shot the puck wide off the boards and the rebound caromed into the slot. The Stampede tried to clear the puck to the far boards but Ali intercepted the puck and slid it into an empty cage to give Lincoln the lead at the 14:28 mark of the first. Ali has scored in all three games against Sioux Falls to represent three-of-his-five goals this season.

Russo stacked his top line down the stretch with Ali, Marcellus and Klavs Veinbergs skating on the same line in the third period and it led to the game-winner. Veinbergs began a breakout from the Stars zone by finding Marcellus up the near wall at center ice. Marcellus played give-and-go with Ali as they crossed the blue line and the captain's wrist shot from just inside the right-wing circle blocker-side made it 3-2 Stars at the 18:30 mark of the third.

Marcellus's game-winner was his fifth of the season and came in his first hame back after missing three games due to a lower-body injury. He admitted after the game that he was still a bit banged up but was strong enough to still play through injury.

"It's a little difficult," Marcellus said. "I get a little hesitant now and then but I just want to go out and sacrifice for the guys because I love them so much. I know they have my back and would sacrifice for me. It's a no-brainer."

Lucas Massie stopped 34-of-36 shots to pick up his second consecutive win on the road and fourth consecutive start win overall.

Lincoln returns home Saturday night to host the Tri-City Storm at 6:05 p.m. It is the first of three consecutive games against Tri-City and the first game is Down Syndrome Night. The Stars will sport specialty jerseys and auction them off after the game with proceeds benefiting Down Syndrome Association for Families of Nebraska. Tickets can be purchased here.

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