SIOUX FALLS, SD – Ilia Morozov scored his first career goal, Colby Woogk added a massive second period tally, Artemi Nizameyev recorded a game-winning empty netter, and Erick Roest halted 31 of 33 shots in the Tri-City net as the Storm beat the Sioux Falls Stampede 3-2 on Saturday night at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
Tri-City (3-4-2, 8 pts) earned its first regulation win since September 28 at Cedar Rapids. Sioux Falls (5-3-0, 10 pts) put up a 3-2 record during their five-game homestand.
Despite being outshot 16-3 in the first period, Tri-City held the lead after twenty minutes. The Storm's Nolan Roed rushed a puck into the Sioux Falls zone on the left wing. Roed then fed Nizameyev, who found Morozov open in the right wing circle. Morozov fired a snapshot into the Sioux Falls net at the 14:33 mark for his first career USHL goal.
Tri-City added another in the second period on the power play. Rhys Wallin fed Woogk at the left point. The Western Michigan commit, practically standing on the blue line, decided to rip a snapshot toward the net. The fast-moving puck evaded heavy netfront traffic, hit the crossbar, and bounced in the cage to make it 2-0 Storm. It was Tri-City's first power play goal since September 27 at Dubuque.
A little over 90 seconds into the third period, Sioux Falls cut the Tri-City lead in half. Sam Spehar fired a shot wide of the Tri-City net. The puck bounced quickly off the end boards to the left wing circle, where Ethan Wyttenbach shot the puck in the back of the cage.
After an entertaining remainder of the third period with pressure and scoring chances on each side, Sioux Falls pulled goaltender Aiden Wright with about 90 seconds remaining. At the 19:14 mark of the third, Nizameyev retrieved a loose puck on the right wing of the neutral zone and successfully shot it in the empty net to hand the Storm a 3-1 lead. It was Nizameyev's fourth goal of the season.
The Stampede made it interesting with around 30 seconds remaining. After Sioux Falls again pulled Wright, Brock James scored his second goal of the season when he fired a shot past Roest from the near circle. That goal, however, was the final tally of the hockey game. The Storm fizzled out Sioux Falls' attack in the final seconds.
Tri-City goaltender Erick Roest earned first star of the game honors after stopping 31 of 33 shots in the Storm net. Across both games of the series, the Lethbridge, Alberta native halted 42 of 46 shots he faced.
Up next: Tri-City will take on Lincoln in a home-and-home series next weekend. The Storm visit the Stars on Friday before Lincoln makes a return trip to the Viaero Center on Saturday. Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased at stormhockey.com, via phone at 308-338-8144, or in-person at the Viaero Center box office. Both games will also be broadcast on FloHockey and Storm Radio.
