Lincoln Stars

The Lincoln Stars are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
The Stars' home ice is the Ice Box, on the Nebraska State Fair grounds and adjacent to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Stars came to Lincoln in the fall of 1996 and became an overnight sensation in Nebraska's capital city. Led by fiery Derek Reynolds and future Ottawa Senator and San Jose Shark Josh Langfeld, the Stars posted a 40-13-1 regular season record, the best expansion season in USHL history. The Stars continued their domination through the playoffs, losing just two playoff games en route to winning the Clark Cup. More impressive, however, was the teams' performance off the ice. Every game was sold out at the 4,231-seat Ice Box, and it was common for people to camp out overnight for tickets.
The success continued through the following seasons; the Stars sold out every home game until early 2002. In 1998, the Ice Box was expanded to 5,010 seats in preparation for the USA Hockey National Championships (Junior A). The capacity was later reduced to 4,610, as some bleacher seats were converted to club seating.
The Stars have made the playoffs nine of their first ten seasons, and won their second Clark Cup in 2003. Led by players such as Danny Irmen, the Stars capped off a magical season by defeating the rival Omaha Lancers in the Clark Cup finals.
Notable Stars alumni includes Brandon Bochenski (Tampa Bay Lightning), Andy Schneider (Pittsburgh Penguins organization), David Backes (St. Louis Blues), Josh Langfeld (San Jose Sharks), Jared Boll (Columbus Blue Jackets), Evan Rankin (Notre Dame) and Erik Condra (Notre Dame).
Lincoln players have also made names for themselves in the NCAA Championship Game. Three former Stars have scored championship-winning overtime goals: Josh Langfeld (University of Michigan--1998 vs. Boston College), Grant Potulny (University of Minnesota--2002 vs. University of Maine) and Colby Cohen (Boston University--2009 vs. Miami University).
Lincoln enjoys some of the best junior hockey support in the United States, as the team plays to greater than 90% capacity at the Ice Box.
==Yearly Standings==
==Season-by-season record==
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses, SL = Shootout Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	SL	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs
1996-97	56	40	13	-	1 	0 	244	168	81 	2nd of 6 South 	Won quarterfinals 4-1 (Rochester Mustangs)Won semifinals 4-1 (Omaha Lancers)Won Championship 4-0 (Green Bay Gamblers)
1997-98	56	38	14	-	3 	1 	229	160	77 	3rd of 6 South 	Won Quarterfinals 4-1 (Sioux City Musketeers)Lost Semifinals 0-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
1998-99	56	29	20	-	7 	0 	198	174	65 	3rd of 4 West 	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Dubuque Fighting Saints)Won Semifinals 3-0 (Green Bay Gamblers)Lost Final 2-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
1999-00	58	41	16	-	0 	1 	218	139	83 	1st of 7 West1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-2 (Sioux City Musketeers)Lost Semifinals 2-3 (Twin City Vulcans)
2000-01	56	43	7 	-	6 	0 	246	143	92 	1st of 6 West1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Sioux City Musketeers)Won Semifinals 3-0 (Tri-City Storm)Lost Final 2-3 (Omaha Lancers)
2001-02	61	43	15	-	3 	0 	240	157	89 	2nd of 7 West 	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders)
2002-03	60	37	14	-	3 	6 	214	153	83 	1st of 6 West1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Tri-City Storm)Won Semifinals 3-0 (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders)Won Championship 3-1 (River City Lancers)
2003-04	60	27	29	-	4 	0 	174	191	58 	5th of 6 West 	Did not Qualify
2004-05	60	37	17	-	3 	3 	217	184	80 	3rd of 5 West 	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2005-06	60	34	20	-	4 	2 	218	178	74 	2nd of 5 West 	Won Quarterfinals 3-2 (Omaha Lancers)
2006-07	60	37	20	-	1 	2 	241	200	77 	3rd of 6 West 	Lost Quarterfinals 0-4 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
2007-08	60	31	22	-	4 	3 	186	163	69 	3rd of 6 West 	
Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Lost Semifinals 2-3 (Omaha Lancers)
2008-09	60	37	17	-	3 	3 	191	155	80 	1st of 6 West 	
Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Lost Semifinals 0-3 (Fargo Force)
2009-10	60	16	36	-	2 	6 	143	220	40 	7th of 7 West 	Did not Qualify
2010-11	60	33	22	-	2 	3 	195	188	71 	4th of 8 Western 	Lost First Round 0-2 (Indiana Ice)
2011-12	60	38	18	-	2 	2 	214	172	80 	1st of 8 Western 	First Round ByeWon Quarterfinals 3-1 (Fargo Force)Lost Semifinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2012-13	64	39	22	-	0 	3 	217	191	81 	4th of 8 Western 	Lost Quarterfinals 2-3 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
2013-14	60	24	28	-	2 	6 	175	219	56 	5th of 8 Western 	Did not Qualify
2014-15	60	18	37	-	1 	4 	150	242	41 	8th of 8 Western 	Did not Qualify
2015-16	60	33	24	-	2 	1 	177	163	69 	2nd of 8 Western 	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2016-17	60	32	22	-	5 	1 	171	161	70 	5th of 8 Western 	Did not Qualify
2017-18	60	35	23	-	1 	1 	197	168	72 	5th of 8 Western 	Won First Round 2-0 (Tri-City Storm)Lost Conf Semifinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2018-19	62	12	42	-	4 	4 	151	262	32 	8th of 8 Western 	Did not Qualify
2019-20	48	23	20	-	3 	2 	172	177	51 	5th of 8 Western 	Playoffs cancelled
2020-21	54	22	28	-	3 	1 	160	204	.444	6th of 8 Western 	Did not qualify
2021-22	62	35	20	-	3 	4 	226	208	77 	3rd Western 	Lost Conf Quarterfinals 0-2 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2022-23	62	37	21	-	3 	1 	214	185	78 	3rd Western 	Won Conf Quarterfinals 2-0 (Des Moines Buccaneers)Won Conf Semifinals 2-1 (Waterloo Black Hawks Lost Conf Final 1-3 (Fargo Force)
2023-24	62	27	29	-	3 	2 	169	216	59 	6th Western 	Won Conf Quarterfinals 2-0 (Waterloo Black Hawks)L, Conf Semifinals 0-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
==External links==
*Lincoln Stars
Category:United States Hockey League team
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:Established in 1996