West Des Moines, Iowa — The Des Moines Buccaneers (1-1) fell 8-4 in their second matchup against the Lincoln Stars (1-1) in round one of the Clark Cup Playoffs Friday night at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex.
Stars forward Nate Pederson opened the scoring of the match on the power play 6:38 into the first period as a bouncing puck found its way past Nikolaev to bring Lincoln ahead 1-0. Bucs forward Ryan Seelinger evened it up with a power-play goal from the right-wing circle at 11:10. Seelinger's first of the playoffs was assisted by Ryland Randle and Riley Zupfer, showing a score of 1-1. Just 16 seconds later, Kade Kohanski responded with a goal from the crease to bring the Stars ahead 2-1 at 11:26. Lincoln's Layne Loomer extended the Stars lead to 3-1 at 12:23. Bucs forward Blake Zielinski found the back of the net on a breakaway chance at 17:03 off a pass from Zupfer to show a score of 3-2.
The Stars put up two more in the second period, the first from John Hirschfeld at 3:18. Lincoln's second goal of the middle frame came from Cooper Williams at 7:03 to show a score of 5-2.
Joseph Eichler put the Stars up 6-2 9:57 into the final frame. Bucs forward Henry Major netted his second goal of the playoffs at 11:02, capitalizing on a breakaway opportunity off a pass from Luke Norcross to make it 6-3. Loomer tallied his second of the night at 14:50, followed by a goal from Samuel Murin at 18:00 to show a score of 8-3. Bucs forward Cade De St. Hubert's wrist-shot from the right-wing circle flew to the back of the net at 19:17. De St. Hubert's second of the season was assisted by Major and Becker Wenkus to show a final score of 8-4.
The Bucs and Stars return Saturday, Apr. 11, for Game 3 at 7:05 p.m. featuring Tito's Saturday and Coors Mug Club. Don't miss out on the playoff action! Buy your tickets here.
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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.
