Published: Sunday, 13 Oct 2013

By: Tony Brown

Omaha's top line combines for ten points, Bruns stops 28 Des Moines shots in fifth consecutive shutout.

RALSTON, NE - In the tail end of a two-game weekend homestand, the Omaha Lancers systematically dismantled the Des Moines Buccaneers 7-0 at Ralston Arena on Saturday behind a 28 save performance from Lancers goaltender Cole Bruns, the Prairie Grove, Illinois native's all-time USHL record fifth consecutive shutout to start the season. With the win, the Lancers improved 5-0-0 to start the 2013-14 United States Hockey League (USHL) campaign and with 10 points remain tied with the Sioux Falls Stampede atop the USHL's Western Conference standings.





An Alex Rauter goal midway through the first period, the Cornell recruit's first of the season, made it 1-0 Omaha. Then, in the middle frame, goals from Matt Nelson and Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson came less than one minute apart and pushed the Lancer advantage to 3-0. Omaha's fourth goal came courtesy of leading Lancers scorer Jake Randolph at 8:49 of the second period when the future Nebraska-Omaha Maverick tipped home a Steven Johnson point shot for his third goal of the season.





In the third period, a pair of Tyler Vesel goals, his team-leading fifth and sixth of the season, made it 6-0 Lancers before a Gage Hough power-play goal at 17:24, the Omaha native's third score of the campaign, established the Lancers' 7-0 margin of victory. Vesel paced the Lancers Saturday with five total points (2G, 3A), Randolph wasn't far behind with four points of his own (1G, 3A) and Nelson's and Forsbacka-Karlsson's tallies were the rookie tandem's first career USHL goals.





Bruns, now the sole owner of the longest individual shutout streak (300:00 consecutive minutes and 117 consecutive shots faced) in the 66-year history of the USHL, was phenomenal again Saturday, making challenging Des Moines offerings appear mundane while displaying a veteran calm that no doubt inspired his team to keep the as-yet uncommitted netminder's historic streak alive.





Next up for the Lancers, it's four straight games away from home beginning Thursday at Young Arena in Waterloo, Iowa for a 7:05 pm clash with a familiar Western Conference foe, the Waterloo Black Hawks. Full coverage of Thursday's game begins with the "Valpak Pregame Show" at 6:50 pm on the Lancers' flagship station, "The Mighty" 1290 KOIL with Lancers broadcaster Tony Brown providing the play-by-play.





In 2013-14, the five-time Anderson Cup and seven-time Clark Cup Champion Omaha Lancers drop the puck on their 28th season in the USHL. Season ticket packages for the Lancers' second campaign at the state-of-the-art Ralston Arena are available now starting at just $12.50 per game! To reserve your seats, contact the Lancers' ticket office today at 402-344-7825, extension 1, or log on to www.lancers.com for more information. Be sure to follow the Lancers on Twitter @OmahaLancers and don't forget to 'Like' the official "Omaha Lancers" fan page on Facebook.





-- OMAHA LANCERS --