Stampede Top Fargo 4-2 For Third Straight Win

FARGO, ND -- Dakota Joshua scored twice, including once shorthanded, and the Sioux Falls Stampede topped the Fargo Force 4-2 Sunday afternoon in Fargo.

The win improved the Herd’s record to 32-16-6 and moved them within one point of Sioux City for third place in the West with six games remaining. The win completed a perfect weekend for the Stampede in which they went 3-0-0 and finished the season series against Fargo at 9-0-0.  The Herd have  won six of their last seven games and are 11-2-2 since the beginning of February.

The Stampede got off to a quick start in the first when C.J. Franklin tallied his 16th goal of the season 5:38 into game. Christian Horn took a pass up the right wing boards from Tyler Nanne and wristed a shot inside the right circle that was stopped by Mathias Israelsson, but Franklin dove towards the net and knocked the puck past Israelsson to give the Herd a 1-0 advantage.

It stayed that way until 11:47 when Garrick Gray knocked in a loose rebound past Stampede goaltender David Jacobson. The Force would take the lead at 16:01 when Tyler Hynes broke in on a 2-on-1 and wristed a shot into the upper left hand corner of the net to make it 2-1 after one period. Sioux Falls outshot the Force 16-11 in the period.

Fargo went on a powerplay 12 minutes into the second period with a 2-1 lead, but it would be the Stampede who would convert.  Franklin wrestled the puck free behind the Fargo net and found Joshua open in front of the net who one-timed the pass into the net to score shorthanded and tie the game 2-2.

Less than four minutes later Joshua struck again, this time off a pass from Nolan Gluchowski inside the right circle. Joshua controlled the puck inside the circle, spun around and wristed a shot through the pads of Israelsson to regain the lead for the Herd, 3-2. Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 18-10 in the period.

Sioux Falls went on five-minute power play 5:01 into the third after Gray was sent off for kneeing, but could not convert. Just seconds after the power play expired, the Herd converted on a beautiful tic-tac-toe goal from Louis Nanne. Tyler Nanne took the puck at the right point and slid it to Chad Duchesne who found Louis open in the slot. Nanne fired the puck through traffic and into the back of the net to seal the game at 4-2.

Sioux Falls outshot the Force 40 to 29 in the game and went 0-for-5 on the power play while Fargo was 0-for-2.

The Stampede return to action on Friday when they travel to Sioux City to face the Musketeers at 7:05 PM. The Herd’s next home game is Sunday, March 23rd against the Lincoln Stars at 6:05 PM.

Sioux Falls Stampede

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Stampede