USHL Divisional Semifinals Schedule & Preview

The United States Hockey League playoffs get underway on Wednesday night as all 4 series' will get underway as the East Division 1st Round Series' were set up back on March 31. One of the great things about the United States Hockey League is that this league gets it right when it comes down on how many teams make the playoffs. Unlike the Canadian Jr. A, Major Junior or the NAHL which basically allows nearly all the teams make it in.

This makes the 1st Round more exciting and more unpredictable more often and you see what happens. Last year we saw both of the #3 seeds in the Indiana Ice & Fargo Force make it to the Championship. With the talent gaps being a lot bigger then last year, I don't expect any thing like that to happen this year, but expect some great series' from a 1st round rematch as the Indiana Ice and Cedar Rapids Roughriders as both teams will be facing off for the 2nd straight year.

Also the Tri-City Storm will be looking to use their momentum who won the last 3 against the Lincoln Stars, Des Moines Buccaneers and Sioux Falls Stampede to hold off a hard charging Sioux City Musketeers team in the final weekend of the season. Even though the Storm are the #4 Seed, the Storm do have the league's scoring champion in Jaden Schwartz who had 83 points (33G 50A) during the regular season.

Fargo may have some problems looking to get back to the Clark Cup Championship as the Force are ending the regular season as the Force have lost 4 in a row and some reports of some internal fighting within the team may be distracting them. Sioux Falls may have a great shot as the Stampede are going into the playoffs by getting points in 6 of their final 7 (5-1-1). The Stampede almost took over the Force in the last couple of days of the season to take over home ice in the opening round of the playoffs. Expect this series to be the best of 4 Divisional Semifinal Series'.


Here's a look at the 1st Round Series' which all begin on Wednesday Night.


East Division Semifinals


#1 Green Bay Gamblers VS. #4 Waterloo Blackhawks

Green Bay Gamblers Regular Season Record: 45-10-5 95 PTS, 212 GF 140 GA

Green Bay Scoring Leaders
Anders Lee 59 GP 66 PTS (35G 31A)
Reed Seckel 54 GP 58 PTS (24G 34A)
Ryan Furne 60 GP 45 PTS (19G 26A)


Green Bay Goaltending
Steve Summerhays 39 GP 31-2-3 2.17 GAA .914 SV%
Ryan Mckay 24 GP 14-8-2 2.20 GAA .909 SV%


Waterloo Blackhawks Regular Season Record: 31-27-2 64 PTS, 227 GF 221 GA


Waterloo Scoring Leaders
J.T. Brown 60 GP 77 PTS (34G 43A)
Brock Montpetit 55 GP 69 PTS (28G 41A)
Tyler Barnes 60 GP 68 PTS (35G 33A)

Waterloo Goaltending
C.J. Motte 42 GP 21-15-0 3.28 GAA .897 SV%
Willie Yanakeff 22 GP 10-9-0 3.31 GAA .880 SV%


All Green Bay Gamblers Home Games are @ Green Bay Resech Center

All Waterloo Blackhawks Home Games are @ Waterloo Young Arena


Game 1, 4/7: @ Green Bay 7:05 PM

Game 2, 4/9: @ Green Bay 7:05 PM

Game 3, 4/10: @ Waterloo 7:05 PM

Game 4, 4/12: @ Waterloo 7:05 PM*

Game 5, 4/14: @ Green Bay 7:05 PM*

*If Necessary



#2 Cedar Rapids Roughriders VS. #3 Indiana Ice

Cedar Rapids Roughriders Regular Season Record: 38-19-3 79 PTS, 214 GF 154 GA

Cedar Rapids Scoring Leaders
Zach Lehrke 58 GP 58 PTS (25G 33A)
Bryce Aneloski 60 GP 54 PTS (15G 39A)
Jeff Costello 54 GP 48 PTS (29G 19A)

Cedar Rapids Goaltending
Troy Grosenick 44 GP 26-14-2 2.63 GAA .902 SV%
Cody Campbell 29 GP 17-8-1 2.40 GAA .905 SV%


Indiana Ice Regular Season Record: 33-24-3 69 PTS, 199 GF 187 GA

Indiana Scoring Leaders
Bryon Paulazzo 59 GP 54 PTS (21G 33A)
Max Cook 57 GP 49 PTS (23G 26A)
Antti Roppo 59 GP 45 PTS (27G 18A)


Indiana Goaltending
Cab Morris 38 GP 21-13-2 2.57 GAA .913 SV%
Casey Desmith 27 GP 11-11-1 3.18 GAA .897 SV%

All Cedar Rapids Roughriders Home Games are @ Cedar Rapids Ice Arena

All Indiana Ice Home Games are @ Pan American Plaza

Game 1, 4/7: @ Cedar Rapids 7:05 PM

Game 2, 4/9: @ Cedar Rapids 7:05 PM

Game 3, 4/10: @ Indiana 6:05 PM

Game 4, 4/12: @ Indiana 6:05 PM*

Game 5, 4/14: @ Cedar Rapids 7:05 PM*

*If Necessary



West Division Semifinals

#1 Omaha Lancers VS. #4 Tri-City Storm

Omaha Lancers Regular Season Record: 42-12-6 90 PTS, 238 GF 146 GA

Omaha Scoring Leaders
Matt White 57 GP 82 PTS (35G 47A)
Erik Haula 56 GP 72 PTS (28G 44A)
Dakota Eveland 59 GP 59 PTS (20G 39A)

Omaha Goaltending
Jeff Teglia 45 GP 30-10-5 2.27 GAA .921 SV%
John Keeney 13 GP 8-1-1 1.98 GAA .916 SV%


Tri-City Storm Regular Season Record: 29-25-6 64 PTS, 172 GF 189 GA

Tri-City Scoring Leaders
Jaden Schwartz 60 GP 83 PTS (33G 50A)
Brett Mohler 60 GP 45 PTS (13G 32A)
Radoslav Illo 50 GP 43 PTS (24G 19A)


Tri-City Goaltending
Carsen Chubak 50 GP 21-19-6 2.98 GAA .903 SV%
Steven Bolton 20 GP 8-6-0 3.10 GAA .899 SV%


All Omaha Lancers Home Games are @ Omaha Civic Center

All Tri-City Storm Home Games are @ Viaero Event Center

Game 1, 4/7: @ Omaha 7:05 PM

Game 2, 4/9: @ Tri-City 7:05 PM

Game 3, 4/10: @ Omaha 7:05 PM

Game 4, 4/12: @ Tri-City 7:05 PM*

Game 5, 4/14: @ Omaha 7:05 PM*

*If Necessary


#2 Fargo Force VS. #3 Sioux Falls Stampede

Fargo Force Regular Season Record: 37-17-6 80 PTS, 227 GF 214 GA


Fargo Scoring Leaders
Matt Leitner 54 GP 66 PTS (25G 41A)
Corey Leivermann 59 GP 55 PTS (20G 35A)
Nate Condon 60 GP 51 PTS (23G 28A)

Fargo Goaltending
Ryan Massa 33 GP 19-7-2 3.18 GAA .896 SV%
Dayn Belfour 19 GP 8-3-4 3.41 GAA .881 SV%


Sioux Falls Stampede Regular Season Record: 33-15-12 78 PTS, 223 GF 182 GA


Sioux Falls Scoring Leaders
Michael Voran 60 GP 74 PTS (23G 51A)
Matt Lindblad 57 GP 70 PTS (24G 46A)
Mark Antoine 60 GP 52 PTS (27G 25A)

Sioux Falls Goaltending
Clay Witt 44 GP 24-12-7 2.66 GAA .906 SV%
Lino Chimienti 19 GP 8-3-5 3.10 GAA .879 SV%


All Fargo Force Home Games are @ Urban Plains Center

All Sioux Falls Stampede Home Games are @ Sioux Falls Arena

Game 1, 4/7: @ Sioux Falls 7:05 PM

Game 2, 4/9: @ Fargo 7:35 PM

Game 3, 4/10: @ Fargo 7:05 PM

Game 4, 4/13: @ Sioux Falls 7:05 PM*

Game 5, 4/14: @ Fargo 7:05 PM*

*If Necessary