Friday's box score

KEARNEY, Neb. – Eight different Tri-City Storm players produced points in a 4-1 Storm victory over the Omaha Lancers on Friday night at Viaero Center. 

Tri-City (7-6-1, 15 pts) is above .500 for the first time this season. Omaha (3-12-0, 6 pts) has dropped seven of its past eight games. 

After a scoreless first period, a combined five goals were put up in the second. 

Tri-City began the scoring at the 7:24 mark of the frame on a Mason Jenson breakaway. The Ohio State commit gathered an Omaha turnover at the Storm blue line and marched the puck toward Lancer netminder Nils Maurins. Jenson tucked a top shelf shot past Maurins for his third goal of the season. 

The Storm doubled their lead about six minutes later on Lincoln Hjelm's second goal of the campaign. Hjelm accepted a Paul Bloomer feed in the right circle of the Omaha zone and ripped a shot past Maurins for his second goal in three games. 

Forty-eight seconds later, Tri-City grew its advantage to three. In the midst of a Storm power play, Carson Pilgrim sent a beautiful backhand pass through traffic to Bode Laylin near the right circle of the Omaha zone. Laylin quickly finished a shot through Maurins for his second marker of the year. 

The Lancers found the board with 15:43 gone by in the middle frame. Lefty Markonidis gathered a loose puck on the right wing of Tri-City's zone. The Hudson, Massachusetts native fired a top shelf shot past Storm goaltender Michal Pradel for his first tally with the Lancers. Markonidis was traded from Lincoln to Omaha on October 15. 

Tri-City returned the favor just over a minute later. Omaha sent a loose puck back to its zone. Brecken Smith was first to catch up and quickly sniped a shot top corner on Maurins from close range for his fourth marker in six games. Smith's tally wrapped the scoring on the night. 

Pradel stopped 22 of 23 Omaha shots en route to his sixth win of the year. Maurins halted 24 of 28 Storm attempts. 

Up next: Tri-City continues its three-in-three with visits to Des Moines on Saturday (6:05 pm puckdrop) and Omaha on Sunday (5:05 pm puckdrop). Each matchup will be broadcast on FloHockey and Storm Radio.