West Des Moines, Iowa — The Des Moines Buccaneers (1-2) fell to the Lincoln Stars (2-1) in game three round one of the Clark Cup Playoffs Friday night at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, bringing the Buccaneers' season to a close.
Lincoln forward Casey Vandertop opened the scoring of the match with a wrap-around goal at 6:06 to bring the Stars the early 1-0 lead. Kade Kohanski doubled the advantage at 14:13, winning a one-on-one battle and placing the puck top-shelf to show a score of 2-0.
Stars defenseman Nikolas Young found a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 3:00 into the middle frame to extend the Lincoln lead to 3-0. Forward Ryan Seelinger responded for the Bucs just 58 seconds later, finding Prowse's open back-door off a pass from Rhys Wallin at 3:58. Owen Tylec also had an assist on the goal that showed a score of 3-1. The Bucs netted another before the close of the second period as Riley Zupfer's cross-ice pass found Blake Zielinski, who buried a one-time shot from the right-wing circle at 14:53. Forward Jakub Dubravik started out the play, earning a secondary assist on the goal that brought the Bucs within one at 3-2.
Bucs forward Luke Norcross evened the score just 2:33 into the final frame, sending a wrist shot from the left-wing circle past Prowse's far side to make it a 3-3 contest. Norcross' goal was assisted by Henry Chmiel and Joseph Argentina. Lincoln's Alex Pelletier responded with a power-play goal at 3:32 to restore the Stars lead at 4-3. Pelletier tallied his second of the night at 15:55, followed by an empty-net goal from Joseph Eichler to show a final score of 6-3.
With this win over the Stars, the Bucs head to the conference semi-finals next weekend! More details will come at the conclusion of round one.
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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.
