Force Return Home With Series Tied Against Stampede
FARGO (KVRR) – The playoffs are heating up for the Fargo Force.
After defeating the Sioux City Musketeers in four games during the previous round, Fargo now finds itself locked in a battle with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the Western Conference Finals. Through two games, the best-of-five series is tied at one game apiece.
The Force dropped game one last Friday night (May 1) in Sioux Falls, falling 6-2 after allowing four first-period goals. Despite the lopsided score, head coach Brett Skinner felt the game was more competitive than it appeared.
“Tight series, obviously it’s the third round of the playoffs. You’re playing a strong team,” Skinner said. “The first night, probably a little bit closer, especially the second half of the game, than the score indicated.”
Fargo bounced back in a big way Saturday night.
In game two, the Force tightened things up defensively and limited one of the league’s best teams to just one goal. With the game needing overtime, forward Axel Lofgren delivered the game-winner to even the series.
Skinner said the defensive effort was key against a dangerous Stampede offense.
“Not a lot of space for us, especially offensively,” Skinner said. “You’ve got to work to compete on the offensive side a little bit more to create. Had to defend well against a team that can really put the puck in the net. So, fortunate to come out of there with one win.”
Now, the series shifts back to Fargo for games three and four at Scheels Arena.
The Force have been dominant on home ice this postseason, posting a perfect 2-0 record in Fargo. Two more wins at Scheels Arena would send the Force to the Clark Cup Finals.
Forward Brooks Cullen says the team is eager to get back in front of its home crowd.
“Obviously, our fan base is awesome and we have such a good crowd at home,” Cullen said. “So we’re super excited to get back at home and hopefully have a couple of good games here in front of a great crowd.”
Skinner added that the team’s focus remains on taking things one game at a time.
“For us, the focus is this first one,” Skinner said. “Coming back home, we love our fans. We love our building, sleeping in our own bed. So we’ve had a great week of practice and preparation. Just getting ready to get out there and execute. You are at the time of the season, we know what we need to do. We just got to be ready for our moments.”
Game three between the Force and Stampede is set for Friday night at Scheels Arena with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Game four will follow Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.
