West Des Moines, Iowa — The Des Moines Buccaneers (18-18-3-4) took down the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (20-16-2-5) with a 4-2 Dupaco Cowbell Cup victory Friday night at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex. Bucs forward Riley Zupfer sealed the contest with the game-winning power-play goal halfway through the final frame. Bucs goalie Alan Lendak (12-9-0-0) backstopped the win with 19 saves on the night. The Bucs head to Sioux Falls for a matchup against the Stampede tomorrow, February 14, at 6:05 p.m. at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
Bucs forward Owen Tylec opened the scoring of the contest, netting his tenth goal of the season from the left-wing circle 6:11 into the opening frame. Defenseman Tomas Mikel and forward Nathan Hauad notched the assists on Tylec's goal that gave the Bucs the intial 1-0 lead. RoughRiders forward Jackson Fox evened the score at 8:02, shooting past Lendak from the left-wing circle to show a score of 1-1.
Bucs forward Rhys Wallin tallied the lone goal of the middle frame at 14:52. Forward Ryan Seelinger picked up his own rebound and sent a back-handed pass to Wallin, who tapped the puck past Skidmore from just outside the crease to inch Des Moines ahead 2-1.
Cedar Rapids forward Connor Davis evened the match once more for the RoughRiders 3:42 into the final frame, showing a score of 2-2. Bucs forward Riley Zupfer netted a power-play goal to give the final lead to Des Moines at 11:09. Zupfer accepted a pass from Seelinger, sending a wrist-shot from the left-wing circle top-shelf for his 10th goal of the season. Defenseman Barrett Dexheimer notched the second assist on the goal that gave the Bucs the 3-2 lead. Forward Joseph Argentina capped off the scoring of the match with an empty-net goal at 19:56 to show a final score of 4-2.
The Bucs look ahead to a matchup against the Sioux Falls Stampede tomorrow, February 14, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls. Puck drop is at 6:05 p.m., and you can watch live on FloHockey. The Bucs return home for a weeknight matchup against the Lincoln Stars next Tuesday, February 17, at 6 p.m. at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex. Don't miss out on the action! Buy your tickets
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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.
