Sioux Falls, SD – The Fargo Force ended their regular season on a high note, beating the Sioux Falls Stampede 4-1 on the road Saturday night. Fargo improves to 40-14-4-4 with 88 points Anton Castro stopped 17 of 18 shots on goal. Sioux Falls slides to 23-31-5-3 and 54 points. Xavier Medina stopped 20 of 23 shots on goal.
The Stampede came out in the first period with a vengeance, putting shots on Castro early but took an undisciplined roughing penalty at 3:47. The ensuing power play yielded a goal for the Force as Verner Miettinen deked around Medina at 4:23 giving Fargo a 1-0 lead. Despite consistent zone entries by Sioux Falls, Fargo kept shots to the perimeter. At 9:08 Ryan Lund took a holding minor sending the Force to their first penalty kill. The Stampede cycled well, but special teams came up big for Fargo preventing any real shots and killing off the penalty. Sioux Falls went back to the power play at 12:38 when Owen Mehlenbacher was called for high sticking. The Force prevented any offense to develop for the Stampede on their man advantage, in fact Anthony Menghini had a shorthanded breakaway chance that was denied by Medina. Fargo carried the momentum from their shorthanded pressure to another tally. This came from Jake Fisher, his first United States Hockey League goal beating Medina stick side at 18:04. The 2-0 lead carried the Force into the second period.
The Force went back to the power play at 1:03 in the second period after a hooking penalty was assessed to the Stampede but couldn't establish themselves on that man advantage. The Force went back to the penalty kill at 4:17 when Tommy Holtby took an interference penalty at 4:17. Fargo quickly ran out the penalty time and went back to work offensively. Girts Silkalns scored his second goal in as many nights on a one time feed from Mehlenbacher at 8:51 to make it 3-0. The Force held the blue line, preventing the Stampede from maintaining possession in their offensive zone. Then at 15:52, Owen Thomas and Sioux Falls' Clint Levens received offsetting minor penalties resulting in a 4 on 4 which didn't change the score to end the period.
Sioux Falls emerged for the third period with energy, peppering Castro with attempts, the best of which was a 2 on 1 that was turned aside by the Fargo goalie. The Force went to the penalty kill at 6:40, on a Holtby interference call. Thankfully, the power play for the Stampede was kept to the outside and bottlenecked. Fargo earned another man advantage at 9:14 on a Sioux Falls holding call, which the Stampede responded well to. Sioux Falls pulled Medina for the extra attacker at 12:49, and the Stampede held their own until Mehlenbacher tapped the bouncing puck into the empty net at 13:58 for a 4-0 lead. Sioux Falls broke through Castro at the 19:00 mark in scramble out front to spoil the shutout as the game ended.
Some young players made their United States Hockey League and Fargo Force debuts in Saturday night's game. Starting with forwards, Fargo brought in Thomas Zocco, a 2006 brith year committed to Merrimack from Staten Island, NY. He slotted into the third line right wing position. Zocco put up 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists) in 11 games with the Long Island Gulls 16U AAA team. Tommy Holtby a 2006 birth year from Victor, NY, was called up from the Windy City Storm after putting up 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) in 15 games this season.
On defense, the Force recalled Providence College commit Owen Thomas. Thomas, a 2005 birth year from Chicago, IL, tallied 3 points, (1 goal, 2 assists) in 48 games this season with the North American Hockey League's Corpus Christi IceRays. Justin Bartley also is from Chicago, IL. The 2006 birth year earned 9 points, (3 goals, 6 assists) in 15 games played for prestigious Chicago Mission youth hockey program on their 16U AAA team. Finally, 2006 birth year Ryan Lund, who hails from Warroad, MN. He racked up 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 31 games played with his high school team.
Fargo's Conference Semifinals opponent will be the winner of the best of 3 Tri-City Storm versus Sioux City Musketeers series. Game one of the three game series is Monday April 24 at 7:05pm CST. Depending on the end date of the series, the Force's schedule will be adjusted as follows.
If Fargo's opponent's First Round series ends on Tuesday, April 25:
Conference Semifinal – Best-of-Three (all games at Scheels Arena)
Game 1: Friday, April 28, 7:05 pm
Game 2: Saturday, April 29, 6:05 pm
Game 3: Sunday, April 30, 4:05 pm (if necessary)
If Fargo's opponent's First Round series ends on Wednesday, April 26:
Conference Semifinal – Best-of-Three (all games at Scheels Arena)
Game 1: Saturday, April 29, 6:05 pm
Game 2: Sunday, April 30, 4:05 pm
Game 3: Monday, May 1, 7:05 pm (if necessary)
Tickets can purchased online under the 'Tickets' tab on the Fargo Force website or by clicking HERE
