WHEN: FRIDAY APRIL 3rd, 7:05 PM CST, SATURDAY APRIL 4th, 6:05 PM CST

WHERE: The Ice Box

TUNE IN: FloHockey ($) | MixLr.com/LincolnStars (FREE RADIO STREAM)

STARS 2025-26 RECORD: 27-26-4-1

BUCCANEERS 2025-26 RECORD: 25-27-4-4

LANCERS 2025-26 RECORD: 18-37-3-2

REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS	LIN	DM / OMA
GOALS PER-GAME	3.18	2.96 / 2.55
GOALS ALLOWED PER-GAME	3.13	3.10 / 4.10
SHOTS PER-GAME	30.88%	27.62 / 27.60
POWER-PLAY %	18.8%	16.5% / 13.5%
PENALTY-KILL %	78.5%	80.1% / 71.2%

LAST TIME OUT: Lincoln fell to the Omaha Lancers in Ralston on Sunday night.

Lincoln would score first for the first time all weekend. Samuel Hybsky entered the offensive zone and fired a shot on net. The rebound came loose to Brady Kudrna, and he was able to beat the Omaha netminder to give Lincoln the lead. Omaha would respond quickly with two goals in 122 seconds to take the lead. The 2-1 score would hold into the intermission.

Both teams would have their chances in the second, but neither would break through as the game would head into the final period 2-1. Omaha was gifted a power-play late in the frame that would carry over into the third period.

The Lancers would add the lone goal in the third, and take the game 3-2.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: The end of the regular season always brings an influx of new talent to USHL teams. Lincoln's younger players were on full display over their past three-game weekend.

• Cole Braunshausen recorded three goals on the weekend, including two tallies in Lincoln's 7-1 win over Chicago on Friday night.
• KJ Sauer picked up an assist on Friday, and also participated in his first USHL fight.
• Emery Ipsen was +3 in Lincoln's win on Friday, and experienced his first USHL fight in Omaha on Sunday.
• Casey Vandertop (St. Thomas) recorded three assists over the weekend and was +1.

PREVIEWING THE MATCH-UPS: The Stars welcome in two familiar foes to close out the 2025-26 regular season. It will be the fifth time that the Stars see the Buccaneers this season, with Lincoln having fell in each of the last three meetings between the clubs after winning the first match-up. Lincoln is 1-2-1-0 against the Buccaneers this season, and lost the last match-up at the Ice Box on March 12th 5-1.

The Stars end the regular season with the final contest of the I-80 Rivalry when the Omaha Lancers come to town on Saturday night. It will be the eighth game played between the Stars and Lancers, with Lincoln leading the series 5-1-1-0, although four of the seven meetings this season have been pushed to overtime, with Lincoln winning twice, Omaha taking one game in 3-on-3, and the Stars winning the lone game that went to the shootout.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING: The USHL's Western Conference is very tight as it pertains to who will be going where in the first round of the playoffs. Lincoln controls their own destiny, and can clinch home-ice in the first round of the postseason with the following scenarios;

• If Lincoln defeats Des Moines or Omaha (in regulation/overtime/shootout), the Stars clinch home-ice for the first round.
• If Lincoln secures one point in their final two games AND both Des Moines and Tri-City fail to get four points, the Stars clinch home ice for the first round.
• If Lincoln collects two points this weekend, the Stars clinch home ice for the first round.
• If Des Moines AND Tri-City each lose one of their final two games, the Stars clinch home ice for the first round. Des Moines plays Lincoln on Friday, and hosts Sioux City on Saturday. Tri-City is in Fargo for two games to close out the regular season.

The first round of the 2025-26 USHL Playoffs begin on April 10th, a best-of-three series with all three games played at the higher seed's home ice.

HOW TO TUNE IN

All three games this weekend are available on FloHockey ($) or on the free Lincoln Stars Mixlr page with Alexander Fern on the call.