Lincoln, Neb. — The Des Moines Buccaneers (23-23-3-4) rolled the Lincoln Stars (27-23-4-1) with a final score of 5-1 Thursday night at the Ice Box. Ryan Seelinger netted his 30th goal on the season, becoming the first Buccaneer to tally 30+ goals and 30+ assists in a single season since 2005-06. Seelinger, Blake Zielinski, and Riley Zupfer each tallied a goal and an assist on the night. Bucs goalie Alan Lendak (17-10-0-0) stopped 21 of 22 Stars shots in the victory. The Bucs look ahead to a matchup against the Waterloo Black Hawks tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. at Young Arena.

Bucs forward Blake Zielinski opened the scoring of the contest at 9:15, fighting through defenders and sending the puck back-door. Zielinski's 19th goal on the season came unassisted and brought Des Moines the 1-0 advantage. Forward Riley Zupfer doubled the advantage to 2-0 at 16:41, tapping in defenseman Becker Wenkus' rebounded shot for his 15th goal of the season. The Stars responded with a goal from forward KJ Sauer just 29 seconds later to bring the score to 2-1.

Bucs forward Owen Tylec tapped a pass from Zielinski back-door for his 14th goal of the season on the power-play at 6:17. Tylec's goal restored the two-goal lead for the Bucs at 3-1 and was also assisted by Ryan Seelinger. Seelinger netted his 30th goal of the season with a breakaway goal at 19:26, assisted by Zupfer, to extend the advantage to 4-1.

Forward Harper Searles capped off the scoring of the game with an unassisted empty-net goal 16:07 into the final frame to show a final score of 5-1. 

The Bucs face the Black Hawks at Young Arena tomorrow night in Waterloo at 6:35 p.m. The Bucs return home for a St. Patrick's Day Dupaco Cowbell Cup matchup and $1 dog night against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Tuesday, March 17, at 6:35 p.m. at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex. 

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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.