#1 Des Moines vs #4 Lincoln
Season series: 4-2 Des Moines
Last meeting: Des Moines won 3-0 at Lincoln Mar. 14
Many people who grew up in cold-weather climates can remember playing street hockey games that lasted until someone's mother yelled, "it's time for supper!" At that point, someone usually called out "next goal wins!"
If Bob Revermann and Josh Blackburn had been the goaltenders in those street hockey games, supper might never have been served.
Arguably the USHL's two strongest goaltenders since the Christmas Break, Revermann and Blackburn occupy the league's top two spots in goals against average and save percentage after the first round of the playoffs. After the first round, Revermann has the league's best playoff goals against average at 1.75 and the second-best save percentage at 93.6. At the other end of the ice, Blackburn has posted the second-best goals against at 2.00 and the USHL's best save percentage at 94.9 percent.
The playoff numbers for Blackburn do not come as a big surprise. After all, the Stars acquired the veteran goaltender from Dubuque in January in hopes of making a run at a second consecutive Clark Cup. Through the remainder of the regular season, Blackburn was spectacular in net on his way to posting a 2.45 goals against and 92.3 percent save percentage over his 17 games in Lincoln. Although he had not played in a playoff game during his two-plus years with the Fighting Saints, the all-star goaltender showed no signs of nervousness in the first round.
Revermann has been more of a surprise, however. The Bucs acquired Revermann from the Omaha Lancers, who felt comfortable with their one-two tandem of Dennis Bassett and Tony Zasowski. Revermann was an afterthought in Omaha, to the point that some Lancer fans do not recall him being on the Omaha roster. He has been nothing short of outstanding since joining Des Moines, however. His 1.62 goals against average over 20 games with the Bucs led the USHL in the regular season. Revermann also posted a remarkable 93.8 save percentage.
While goaltending could be the key to this series, both teams have plenty of firepower up front. The Bucs scored 23 goals in four games while allowing just 7 in their four-game first-round sweep of Green Bay. In the first round, Des Moines was led by Jeremy Vokes and Peter Fregoe, who each scored 3 goals and added 5 assists for 8 points, tops in the USHL postseason. Eric Maksimenko added 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. Fregoe led the Bucs in scoring during the regular season with 31 goals and 32 assists for 63 points during the regular season.
Brendon Hodge and Nick Fohr paced a balanced Lincoln attack in the first round with 6 points each. Hodge had 4 goals and 2 assists, while Fohr notched 2 goals and added 4 assists. Jake Wiegand added 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points, while Marc Suderman had 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points. Bryan Lundbohm, who led the Stars in scoring during the regular season with 26 goals and 38 assists for 64 points, scored 1 goal and added 3 assists in the opening round.
Both teams come into the series with impressive records. Dating back to the regular season, Des Moines has gone 12-2 in their last 14 games, while the Stars are 11-4 in their last 15. However, after the Stars won eight of the first nine meetings between these two teams since Lincoln entered the league last year, the Bucs have won three in a row between the two, including a solid 3-0 win at the Ice Box on March 14. The last two times these two teams have met, both games being Des Moines wins in Lincoln, the Stars have had trouble with the Bucs' smaller, quicker defensemen. It will be interesting to see if Lincoln's more physical style of play can slow down the faster Bucs. If it doesn't, then the Stars could be in trouble.
PREDICTION: These are the two best teams in the USHL right now. If anyone is capable of upsetting the Anderson Cup champions, it is Lincoln. Des Moines' quick defense may provide too much of a challenge for the Stars, however. Des Moines in 7.
#2 North Iowa vs #3 Omaha
Season series: Omaha won 3-1 with one shootout win.
Last meeting: Omaha won 6-5 in a shootout at Omaha Feb. 28
The majority of the North Iowa Huskies are set to face the Omaha Lancers in the second round of the USHL playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, one key element will be missing. That key element is all-star goaltender Gregg Naumenko, who has played his last game of junior hockey thanks to an obscure NCAA rule.
The NCAA rule book, which includes so many regulations that they single-handedly keep the forestry industry strong, states that if a player competes in a junior hockey game after they reach the age of 21, they lose a year of college eligibility. Naumenko falls under this category. Although he would still be eligible to play in the USHL, he would lose one year of college eligibility, so he will not play against the Lancers.
For the Huskies, the news couldn't be much worse. Naumenko was second in goals against during the regular season with a 2.21 average. In the first round, Naumenko had a 2.26 goals against average and a 92.2 percent save percentage while playing in all five of North Iowa's games.
Without Naumenko, North Iowa's goaltending duties fall on the shoulders of Dirk Menard and Rob Anderson. Menard played 13 games in the regular season, posting a 2.65 goals against average and an 88.4 percent save percentage. Anderson posted impressive numbers in his 12 appearances with a 2.01 goals against average and a 93.1 percent save percentage.
At the other end of the ice, Dennis Bassett will guard the net for Omaha. Bassett played in 30 regular season games, posting a 2.56 goals against average and an 89.8 percent save percentage. Bassett split goaltending duties for much of the year with Tony Zasowski, who played in 26 games and posted a 2.49 goals against average, third in the USHL. After Zasowski suffered a groin injury in a Feb. 11 game against Lincoln, however, Bassett became the Lancer's everyday goaltender.
Up front, North Iowa is led by the USHL's second leading scorer in the regular season, Nate DiCasmirro. DiCasmirro scored 29 goals and added 45 assists for 74 points. In the first round, DiCasmirro scored one goal and added 4 assists for 5 points. Tom Nelson added 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points during the regular season.
The Lancers' offense has relied largely on the powerplay all season. Omaha led the league with a 28.3 percent powerplay during the regular season, and their success with the man advantage continued in the first round. Against Fargo, Omaha scored on 12 of 25 powerplay opportunities for an amazing 48 percent. They'll face a tough test in North Iowa's penalty killing, however. The Huskies killed 34 of 36 shorthanded opportunities against Waterloo for a league-leading 94.44 percent. If the games are physical and the Lancers spend a lot of time with the man advantage, it should be to their advantage. Don't count on it, however. During the regular season, the Lancers and Huskies were the league's two least penalized teams. This could cause trouble for Omaha, which has been called a "very average team" when at even-strength.
Omaha's offense is led by Chad Theuer and Neil Breen. Theuer was third in regular season scoring with 70 points, while Breen, Omaha's captain, added 65 points. In the first round, Breen, Theuer, Nate Mauer and Kevin Spiewak had 5 points each to lead Omaha.
PREDICTION: With Naumenko in the lineup, the series would probably belong to North Iowa. Omaha's reliance on the powerplay could hurt them in a series such as this one, but Bassett should be enough to lead the Lancers to the finals. Omaha in 6.
March 30, 1998
