Friday's box score

2026 Clark Cup Playoffs
Western Conference First Round
Best-of-Three (Sioux City leads 1-0)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Ashton Schultz's game-winning goal just over three minutes into overtime handed the Sioux City Musketeers a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Storm on Friday night at IBP Ice Center. 

The victory gives Sioux City a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Western Conference First Round series. 

As Tri-City looked to move out of their defensive zone, the puck came to Sioux City's Trey Jefferis, who fed Schultz near the right halfwall. Schultz walked off the boards, then fired a shot bar-down beyond Storm goaltender Owen Nelson to win the game. 

The Musketeers took an early lead in regulation but the Storm battled back to erase an eventual two-goal deficit and send the game to overtime. 

Sioux City began the scoring just 1:04 into regulation. Off a feed from Shayne Gould, Danill Butin ripped a tight shot from the right wing over the shoulder of Storm goaltender Michal Pradel and into the Tri-City cage. 

The Musketeers doubled their lead at the 15:31 mark of the opening period. As each team battled for the puck near Tri-City's net, Sioux City's Gavin Garry collected and stuffed a shot between the legs of Pradel for his second career playoff tally. 

Tri-City got on the board 40 seconds into the middle frame. As the Storm rushed into their offensive zone, Cam Springer sent a left wing shot over the glove of Sioux City netminder Jack Fichthorn for his first career playoff marker. 

The Musketeers jumped back ahead by two on a Luke Garry tally 6:03 into the second. Garry received an Ashton Schultz feed on the left wing of the Storm zone, then ripped a high shot past Pradel to make it 3-1. 

The Storm pulled Pradel after Garry's tally and replaced him with Nelson. Pradel saw just above 26 minutes of action in the game and stopped 10 of 13 Sioux City shots. 

Tri-City cut the Musketeer lead back to one with just under nine minutes gone by in the middle frame. Bode Laylin tucked a shot past Fichthorn's blocker side from the middle of the ice as the Storm converged on Sioux City's net. The goal was Laylin's first career USHL playoff marker. Friday was the St. Michael, Minnesota native's ninth career playoff game. 

The Storm evened the contest at 3-3 early in the third. As Tri-City rushed into the Sioux City zone, Brecken Smith received a Mason Jenson feed on the left wing, then tucked a shot beyond Fichthorn to erase the Sioux City advantage. Smith, in his third consecutive year competing in a USHL playoff game, produced his third career playoff marker. 

The game stayed tied through the remainder of the third. 

Nelson, who saw 37:15 of action, halted 21 of 22 Sioux City attempts. Fichthorn picked up his first career playoff win, stopping 29 of 32 Storm shots. 

Up next: Sioux City looks to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals in tomorrow's second game of the series. Puckdrop is scheduled for 6:05 pm CT. The matchup will be broadcast on FloHockey and Storm Radio. 

• Game One: Friday, April 10 at Sioux City (Sioux City 4, Tri-City 3 - OT)

• Game Two: Saturday, April 11 at Sioux City (6:05 pm CT)

• Game Three (if necessary): Sunday, April 12 at Sioux City (5:05 pm CT)