Lovett, Bruveris lead RoughRiders to overtime win against Stars

By Jim den Hollander

Editor/Publisher

Midwesthockey.info

The first half of the Dicks Sporting Goods USHL Fall Showcase wrapped up Friday (September 24, 2021) with the final game of the day a 1-0 overtime thriller.

Bruno Bruveris (’02/Riga, Latvia) was perfect, kicking out all of the 31 shots he faced in the contest and Cameron Whitehead (’03/Orleans, ON) also stopped all he saw, finishing with 29 saves on 30 shots for the Stars.

Conor Lovett (’01/Franklin, MA) scored the only goal of the contest 1:40 into the overtime session lifting the Roughies to the win and a split in its two games at the Showcase. Stars captured a point and finished with three out of a possible four points in Pittsburgh.

Eight other teams wrapped up their opening weekends as well as the Des Moines Buccaneers wrapped up a perfect opening weekend, dowining the Green Bay Gamblers 6-2; Tri City Storm also won its second but were taken to overtime before getting past the Madison Capitols 2-1; Dubuque Fighting Saints doubled the Omaha Lancers 4-2 and Waterloo BlackHawks collected a 2-0 shutout against the Youngstown Phantoms

Tri-City Storm 2 Madison Capitols 1 (ot)

Chase Clark (’04/Williamsville, NY) stopped all but 37 shots he faced and Jeremy Wilmer (’03/Rockville Center, NY — Boston U) made him a game winner with his overtime goal.

Lleyton Roed (”02/White Bear Lake, MN) scored the other Storm goal in the first period, Reid Pabich (’01/Verona, WI) tying it in the middle period with the lone Capitols’ goal. Marino Ramirez (’03/Chicago, IL) stopped 25 shots in goal for the Caps.

With the win, Tri-City boosted its early season record to 2-0-0 while the Capitols collected its first point.

Des Moines Buccaneers 6 Green Bay Gamblers 2

The Bucs started out with an impressive offensive showing, collecting two wins and scoring a dozen goals through its first two outings.

Bucs opened a 2-0 first period lead and added three more unanswered in the second before Green Bay finally hit the scoreboard early in the third.

Tanner Latsch (’02/Twin Lake, MN) scored a pair for Des Moines and Vincent Salice (’03/Commerce Twp., MI — Ohio State) notched the game winner early in the second period.

Other Bucs’ goals came from: Cade DeStefani (’01/Bedford, NH); Michael Bevilacqua (’03/Buffalo, NY — Northeastern) and Ethan Fredericks (‘Sandy Springs, GA). Remington Keopple (’02/Somerset, WI — Cornell) picked up the win in goal with 29 stops.

Brody Lamb (’03/Byron, MN — Minnesota) and Alex Servagno (’02/Gibsonia, PA — Ohio State) scored the goals for the Gamblers who fell to 1-1 with the loss.

Dubuque Fighting Saints 4 Omaha Lancers 2

The Lancers went up 2-1 early in the third period but the tie lasted just 20 seconds and the Saints dominated the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Shawn O’Donnell (’03/Pittsburgh, PA) scored the game winner near the halfway mark of the period and an empty netter from Tristan LeMyre (’01/Mirabel, QC — Denver) clinched the win for Dubuque.

Other Saints’ goals came from Ryan Beck (’02/Linden, MI) and Max Burkholder (’03/Chaska, MN — Colorado), Ryan Gillespie (’03/Toronto, ON) and Hunter McDonald (’02/Fairport, NY — RPI) scored the Lancers’ goals.

Paxton Geisel (’04/Estevan, SK) stopped 31 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Fighting Saints and Kevin Pasche (’03/Mezieres, Switzerland) stopped all but three of the 38 he faced for the Lancers.

With an overtime loss the previous day, the Fighting Saints collected three points at the Showcase and the Lancers fell to 1-1-0

Waterloo Black Hawks 2 Youngstown Phantoms 0

After a scoreless opening period, Jacob Jeannette (’02/Duluth, MN) scored the game winner late in the second period, John Waldron (’02/Batavia, IL — Miami) added insurance early in the third.

Jack Williams (’01/St. Louis, MO) stopped 15 shots to get the shutout win and Kyle Chauvette (’01/Goffstown, NH) stopped 40 shots in goal for the Phantoms.

Both teams came up short on the first day of the Showcase so the Black Hawks exit the Showcase at 1-1-0 while the Phantoms are still searching for its first win.

The 10 teams that started the Showcase will head into the rest of the regular season while the others will take over the stage in Pittsburgh Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 25-26