January 30, 2008
Alex Tuckerman of Sioux City scores one of his two goals in the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game. Despite the two goals, the West Division All-Stars fell to the East Division All-Stars 6-5 in a shootout.
The United States Hockey League staged its annual prospects/all-star game on Tuesday night at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis. Three first period goals got the East Division All-Stars off to a fast start, but they would need extra time in this one, knocking off the West Division All-Stars 6-5 in a shootout.
The East Division led 3-2 after one period and 5-4 after two periods. It looked as if the game would end the same way until Sioux City's Spencer Heichman picked up a rebound and scored with 3:48 to play in regulation to force the shootout.
"The game started a little slow, but after a while it picked up and we had a pretty good all-star game," said USHL president Gino Gasparini. "The kids played very hard and for the people that braved the weather and got to the game, they really got a treat."
The East Division All-Stars got goals from Brock Montpetit (Waterloo), Blake Kessel (Waterloo), Paul Carey (Indiana), Brian O'Neill (Chicago) and Tyler Thompson (Cedar Rapids). In addition to Heichman, the West Division All-Stars got goals from Jake Hansen (Sioux Falls), Alex Tuckerman (Sioux City) and Nick Dineen (Sioux Falls).
With the game tied at the end of regulation, the teams proceeded directly to a shootout. For the east, Greg Squires (Indiana) and Brett Olson (Waterloo) scored on their first two shots, while Thompson was stopped by Drew Palmisano (Omaha). On the other side, Matthew DiGirolamo (Waterloo) stopped all four shooters for the West Division ? Barry Almeida (Omaha), Hansen, Tuckerman and Jason Gregoire (Lincoln).
Tuckerman, with two goals in the game, was the winner of the Ron Woodey Award, going to the game's most valuable player. Hansen, who had a goal and an assist, was named the West Division's RBK Player of the Game. The East Division RBK Player of the Game was Indiana's Greg Squires.
