SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Sioux Falls Stampede opened the new year
with a 7-3 victory over the U.S. National Development Program
under-17 team Friday night at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
Seven different players scored on the night for the Herd, while
Jaxson Stauber made his sixth-consecutive start in net, stopping 20 of
23 shots on goal.The Stampede came into the night amid a four-game
losing streak and facing one of the hottest teams in the United States
Hockey League. Jared Westcott quickly erased the tension, scoring
on a breakaway by beating NTDP goaltender Kaidan Mbereko at the
3:08 mark of the first. Chaz Lucius tied the game up 3:21 later with a
goal, but Brenden Olson was able to respond for his sixth of the
season and grab the 2-1 lead. The Herd extended their lead with a
pair of goals from Garrett Pinoniemi and Sebastian Miedema, his first
career USHL goal, to take the 4-1 lead before the third period. Tyler
Boucher cut the deficit in half with an a goal 3:34 into the third period,
assisted by Justin Janicke and Red Savage. Both teams exchanged
a pair of goals, one from Timo Bakos and Sean Behrens. The U.S
. National Program made the decision to pull the goaltender with nine
minutes remaining in the third period on the power play and Ryan
Sullivan was able to capitalize on a fortunate bounce to tally a
short-handed, empty-net goal. Cam MacDonald put a stamp on the
night with his fifth of the season at the 14:19 mark of the third period.
Westcott was able to dump off a pass to MacDonald who was
streaking down the slot to beat Mbereko for the seventh and final
goal of the night. The Herd finished outscoring Team USA by 37 to
24 shots and finishing 0 for 2 on the power play, while the USA
finished 1 for 6. The Stampede are on for a rematch game with
Team USA tomorrow night at PREMIER Center to finish off a
seven-game homestand. Puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Fans can listen live on KELO Radio 107.9 FM, 1320 AM or Kelo.com.
(Colin Strombeck of KELO Radio News contributed this report.)
