Ex Vernon Viper Cipollone Wins Clark Cup:

Former Vernon Vipers forward Joe Cipollone and the United States
Hockey League (USHL) Tri-City Storm captured their first Clark Cup Championship.

Cipollone was recruited by the Vipers, started his first season in Vernon last year (2015-16) played in 12 games (4-goals-3-assists-7-points) before leaving the team October 18th 2015 for the USHL. In 47 games this past season with the Storm Cipollone collected (7-goals-3-assists-10-points).  Cipollone was drafted 7th round, 107th overall by the Bloomington Thunder in Phase II of the 2015 USHL Draft.

Joe Cipollone Player Profiles:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=294411

http://www.stormhockey.com/Team/Roster/JosephCipollone.aspx

This is posted on the Storm website:

Storm captures first Clark Cup

Tri-City sweeps Dubuque with 4-1 win in Game 3

Kearney, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm won its first Clark Cup with a 4-1 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints in Game 3 of the Clark Cup Final Friday at the Viaero Center. The sell-out crowd at the Viaero Center rumbled throughout the night and watched Dan Labosky net three assists and Alex Limoges score twice.

Wade Allison won the Clark Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award, scoring five goals in the final and leading the league with nine goals. Allison finished the 2016 playoffs with nine goals and 16 points.

Jake Kielly stood out again, making 28 saves in Game 5 to finish the playoffs with a 9-2 record, a 1.64 goals against average and a .950 save percentage. Kielly's postseason save percentage is the best in the Tier-I history of the league.

The Storm was founded in the year 2000 and has reached the Final twice, in 2004 and 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

BOX SCORE

The Storm killed off 1:57 of Dubuque 5-on-3 about halfway through the first. The Saints took two consecutive penalties in 1:10, allowing the Storm to go on a two-man edge. Alex Limoges shoveled a shot from a foot outside the crease and in with 3:31 left in the first, assisted by Dan Labosky and Wade Allison.

Limoges finished with five postseason goals and 14 points. Labosky had 19 postseason points, the most by a Tri-City player in one playoff. The 20-year-old Wisconsin commit passed Bill Thomas, who had 16 points in the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs. Tri-City had a 22-15 shots edge in the first, the second-most shots Tri-City has attempted in a period this season.

The same trio combined in the second, with a Limoges wrist shot at 4:39 of the second from Labosky and Goransson. Limoges had the puck at the right slot and flung it far post and top shelf past Miska.

Dubuque struck next. Nathan Sucese answered at 12:15 of the second by backhanding a puck from the right post and by Kielly. Joey Keane and Petter Makitalo had the helpers.

The third period felt like a celebration at the Viaero Center. To reignite the fans, Wade Allison received a pass from Alex Limoges and deked to the right post, wristing it past Miska, who made 39 saves in the loss. The goal was at :57 of the third Labosky received the second assist

 Limoges, Allison and Labosky were on ice for 11 of the 13 goals in the playoffs.

After killing a Dubuque man up, time began to fiddle away, with tension growing to a fever pitch until Brandon Duhaime wristed the puck into the empty net to secure the win, 4-1.

Dubuque’s man up was 0-for-6 and the Storm finished 1-for-5.

Clark Cup Finals Schedule:

#1 Tri-City Storm vs. #3 Dubuque Fighting Saints

GAME 1: Friday, May 13, 7:35 p.m. (Mystique Ice Center) – Tri-City 5, Dubuque 1
GAME 2: Saturday, May 14, 7:05 p.m. (Mystique Ice Center) – Tri-City 4, Dubuque 2
GAME 3: Friday, May 20, 7:05 p.m. (Viaero Center) – Tri-City 4, Dubuque 1