PAPILLION, NEBRASKA – Despite the fact that Fargo dominated the Omaha Lancers all season, only losing one time over the stretch of the regular season suggests that Omaha is in for a long short series. Yet this is the postseason. This is the time when all things become peculiar and everything opens to new beginnings. Routinely in the USHL the top seed fails to win a game within the playoffs.
A regular season of celebration becomes an early summer of heartbreak. Fargo should know this; after all it was they whom honored Omaha with that sort of treatment last season.
For two straight periods the Force and Lancers offered the fans what is promising to be one of the finest postseason series in all of hockey. Despite a scoreless game, and a difference of two shots on goal in favor of Omaha (20-18), the show belonged to just two players. Ryan Massa would hold his own in net stopping 20 shots through two periods, while Jeff Teglia would almost equal him stopping 18 for Omaha.
Yet in the end it was Teglia who stole the show stopping a total of 24 shots for the opening win and a shutout victory as well.
Erik Haula and Seth Ambroz would help Omaha on the board assisting Matt White for the game winning goal almost midway through the third period. It would be almost ten minutes later when Greg Wolfe would receive help from Dakota Eveland and Troy Power to end Game One of the USHL West Division Finals in Omaha’s favor by a score of 2-0.
Omaha now leads the Fargo Force 1-0 in this best of five series.
You may contact the author at: john.strathman@prohockeynews.com
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