LINCOLN, Neb. — The Des Moines Buccaneers (5-1-0-1) fell 4-3 the Lincoln Stars (2-3-0-0) after an eleven-round shootout at the Ice Box Friday night. Bucs goaltender
Kimi Saffran (2-1-0-1) stopped 34 shots in the defeat, rivaling Stars goaltender Lukas Stuhrmann's 26 saves. The two teams face off again tomorrow night, this time at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex.
Bucs forward Jakub Dubravik opened the scoring of the game with a power-play goal 6:55 into the first period. Dubravik shoved the puck past Stuhrmann for his third goal on the season, assisted by forwards
Riley Zupfer and
Joseph Argentina to show a score of 1-0. The Stars responded late in the period with a goal from Jackson Rudh at 17:58, tying the match at 1-1.
Bradley Whang restored the Des Moines lead 7:20 into the middle frame, capitalizing on a 1-on-0 change off a pass from Sam Wooten. Whang's second goal of the season saw the Bucs ahead 2-1. Rudh netted his second on the night at 14:42, evening the score once more at 2-2. Bucs defenseman
Kalib Capecci sent his wrist-shot from the left-wing circle flying in at 18:18 to pull Des Moines ahead again at 3-2. Capecci's first goal on the season was assisted by
Logan Smith and
Riley Zupfer.
Stars forward Hugo Cal netted a power-play goal 8:06 into the final frame to send the match to overtime at 3-3.
Each team netted one shootout goal after three rounds, the Stars' coming from Rudh and the Bucs' coming from Zupfer. Bucs forward
Stepan Rezvyi and Lincoln forward Jordan Johnson each scored in the ninth round, but the game winner came from Lincoln defenseman Griffin Brown to show a final score of 4-3.
The Bucs host their second game of the weekend against the Lincoln Stars tomorrow night, with a puck drop at 6:05 p.m. at the RecPlex. It's Bucs Fight Cancer Night, presented by The Iowa Clinic and Star 102.5. The Bucs will be repping specialty jerseys, which will be up for auction after the game. There will be a pink LED stick giveaway at the door and it's Tito's Saturday. Don't miss out! Get your tickets now.
Purchase your new merchandise from the Bucs Galley today!
About the Buccaneers
Founded in 1980, the Des Moines Buccaneers are a proud member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's premier junior hockey league. The Bucs have a history of success in the USHL, including 4 Clark Cup Championships, 4 Anderson Cup Championships, and 54 alumni drafted to the National Hockey League, including Stanley Cup Champions Kyle Okposo, Alex Chiasson, Trevor Lewis, Davis Drewiske, and Erik Cole. The organization is committed to developing young players on and off the ice, preparing them for a future in collegiate and professional careers. Known for their passionate fan base, the Bucs play their home games at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, a multi-sport complex in West Des Moines, Iowa.
To learn more, visit www.bucshockey.com or follow the Bucs on social media: @bucshockey on X and Instagram, @desmoinesbuccaneers on TikTok, and Des Moines Buccaneers on Facebook. For more information about ticket packages, including season and group outings, please contact (515) 278-2827.
