Friday's box score
KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City's Easton Pace, Attila Lippai, and Shaun McEwen each scored crucial goals across the final seven minutes of regulation to hand the Storm a 6-4 victory over the Des Moines Buccaneers on Friday night at Viaero Center.
Tri-City (16-15-3, 35 pts) used its win to climb back above the .500 mark. Des Moines (15-16-2, 32 pts) was handed just its sixth road loss in regulation across 16 away games this season.
The Buccaneers struck first 5:32 into the opening frame when Brittan Alstead clapped the puck around Storm goaltender Erick Roest during a frantic scramble in the Tri-City crease. It was the UConn commit's fourth goal of the season.
Tri-City climbed back thanks to a pair of Ilya Morozov power play goals prior to the first intermission.
The Russia native tallied his first 13:46 into the first period by quickly cleaning a rebound off the pads of Buccaneers goaltender Max Weilandt on the left wing after a Shaun McEwen shot from near the Des Moines blue line.
The 2008-born forward later recorded another opening frame power play goal in similar fashion. The Miami commit gathered a rebound on the right side of the Des Moines net-front area following a chest save by Weilandt on a Carmelo Crandell shot. Morozov quickly flipped the puck into the cage for his eighth tally of the year with 49 seconds left in the period.
Morozov became the tenth player in Storm franchise history to score two power play goals in one period. Tri-City's Mitchell Miller, who produced a pair of power play tallies in the first period of a March 2022 home contest against Lincoln, was the last Storm player to accomplish the feat. Friday was also Morozov's first career multi-goal game.
Des Moines tied the contest with a power play goal of their own just under five minutes into the second. Andrew Clarke struck on a snapshot from the right wing circle of the Storm zone that snuck through Roest's blocker side. The goal came after Tri-City's Noah Ziskie was assessed a two-minute minor for hooking.
Tri-City retook it's lead less than two minutes later on their third power play goal of the night. Attila Lippai, who was down on one knee with the puck in front of the Des Moines net, athletically shuffled a pass to Nolan Roed, who was positioned near the left post of the Buccaneers' cage. The St. Cloud State commit softly one-timed Lippai's feed past Weilandt for his fifteenth goal of the campaign.
Des Moines re-tied the contest nearly halfway through the third. While on the power play, the Buccaneers linked for a quick passing play on the right wing of their offensive zone. Ben Kevan fed Jacob Jastrzebski on the Storm goal line. Jastrzebski then shipped a pass to Clarke, who rifled a shot past Roest from the rim of the right wing circle. The Dartmouth commit scored two power play goals in one game for the first time in his career. Clarke has now tallied 13 times this season.
Each team scored a trio of power play goals in the contest. Tri-City's man advantage was a perfect three-for-three. Des Moines finished the night three-for-five on the man advantage.
The Buccaneers took a 4-3 lead a little less than four minutes after tying the contest. As the Storm looked to exit their zone, an errant pass slid directly to Des Moine's Ryan Seelinger in the Tri-City slot. Seelinger quickly fired a snapshot past Roest to put the Buccaneers ahead with just under seven minutes left in the third.
The Storm comeback began 26 seconds later. During a Tri-City rush, Pace received the puck directly in front of the Buccaneers' cage. The Colorado College made a backhand-forehand move in front of Weilandt, then stuffed the puck into the net for his second goal in as many games.
Lippai produced the game winner with about two minutes left in regulation. As Tri-City entered the Des Moines zone, Lippai caught up to a loose puck on the left wing half wall, then immediately rifled it toward the Buccaneers' net. The shot narrowly slipped through Weilandt, giving Tri-City a 5-4 lead. It was Lippai's third goal in his last two contests and second game-winning goal of the season.
With 1:44 left in regulation, Tri-City's Paul Bloomer was assessed a two-minute minor for interference. The Buccaneers pulled Weilandt toward the beginning of the ensuing power play, generating a 6-on-4 advantage. With nearly a minute to go, McEwen flung the puck from the left wing corner of the Tri-City zone approximately 190 feet down the ice into the vacant Buccaneers cage. It was the Storm captain's fourth tally of the season. McEwen also scored the fifth Tri-City shorthanded goal in 2024-2025.
Despite an additional McEwen penalty whistled with eleven seconds remaining in the third, Des Moines could not capitalize in the final minute of the game.
Five Storm players ended the night with multiple points. Morozov's two goals highlighted individual Tri-City efforts. McEwen, Roed, and Lippai each contributed a goal and an assist. Rylan Bonkowski registered two assists for his first multipoint performance since an October 5 home matchup with Madison.
Roest, who collected his eighth win of the season, stopped 18 of 22 Des Moines shots in the game. Tri-City outshot the Buccaneers 27-22.
Up next: Tri-City ends the two-game set with Des Moines tomorrow night. Puckdrop inside Viaero Center is slated for 6:05 pm CT.
To purchase tickets, visit stormhockey.com, call the Storm at 308-338-8144, or stop by the Viaero Center box office in-person.
Special note: The Concrete Cares "Paint the Ice" game originally scheduled for this Saturday has been moved to Friday, March 14 when the Storm host Cedar Rapids. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.
