Sioux Falls, S.D. – The Sioux Falls Stampede snapped the Lincoln Stars' winning streak with a dominant 7-3 victory Saturday night during the Pink in the Rink game. The Herd were led by Javon Moore and Gennadi Chaly, who each netted two goals. Chaly also added two assists on the night.. Goaltender Waylon Esche made his fourth start and picked up his third win between the pipes with 37 saves on the night.
The Herd came out strong, controlling the puck from the start. That dominance paid off just 3:58 into the game when Jake Merens buried the first goal off a rebound tip, with Ritter Coombs picking up the assist. Shortly after, Coombs found himself in the penalty box for slashing, but the Stampede didn't miss a beat. At 8:39, Javon Moore capitalized on a breakaway, netting a shorthanded goal to extend the lead. Despite a 5-on-3 advantage following back-to-back Lincoln penalties, the Herd's power play struggles continued as they failed to convert. However, Sioux Falls closed out the period on a high note, adding another goal with just nine seconds left. Logan Renkowski tipped in the wrister from Gennadi Chaly, making it 3-0. Outshooting the Stars 17-7, the Stampede controlled the pace and kept Lincoln off the board through the first 20 minutes.
The second period started with a shift in momentum as the Stars found the back of the net just 2:21 in, with Bruno Idzan sent one past goaltender Waylon Esche. Lincoln struck again just three minutes later, cutting the Stampede's lead to one.Despite penalties to Jake Merens for tripping and Anthony Bongo for holding, the Herd's defense held strong, limiting the Stars to just two goals in the period. Sioux Falls generated several scoring chances, and at 18:17, they capitalized. Noah Urness snapped a wrister past the Stars' goaltender, finishing off a backhand feed from Reid Varkonyi to give the Stampede a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame.
The final period started with fast action. Just 8 seconds into the period Javon Moore scored with the assists getting credited to J.J. Monteiro and Gennadi Chaly. The Herd kept the pressure on, and at 1:31, Chaly found the back of the net himself, finishing a feed from Noah Urness to extend the lead. Sioux Falls maintained control, successfully killing off two more penalties throughout the period. Lincoln managed to get one back at 9:24 when Nikolas Young scored unassisted, but the Stampede had the final word. On a 4-on-1 break, Chaly buried his second of the night, with Ritter Coombs picking up his second assist to put the game away for good.
Waylon Esche made his fourth start in goal while Aiden Wright is serving a two-game suspension. Esche made 37 saves on the night and maintained a save percentage of .925 for the night. His record now moves to 3-1-0-0 this season with a save percentage of .881 on the season.
The Stampede will return home again tomorrow afternoon to take on the Fargo Force in a 4:05 pm game. The first 500 fans will receive a Stampede beanie thanks to Innovative Office Solutions. Following the game, fans can join the Herd on the ice. Tickets for all games are on sale now and can be purchased through the KELOLAND Box Office, Ticketmaster, or by stopping by or calling the Stampede office at 1111 N. Lake Ave.
