USHL Sioux Falls Stampede

Big Third Period Pushes Stampede Past Fargo 5-2

February 20, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux Falls Stampede News Release


Sioux Falls, SD-A four-goal third period propelled the Stampede to a 5-2 thumping of the Fargo Force Saturday night before a boisterous crowd of 7,096 at the PREMIER Center. Lawton Courtnall scored twice while Carson Gicewicz and Jack Suter added two assists as the Herd remained in fourth place in the Western Conference while improving to 21-20-3 on the season. Fargo fell three points behind the Stampede in the standings at 20-21-2. Stefanos Lekkas was once again amazing between the pipes, stopping 16 shots in the first period alone and 30 on the night to improve to 15-13-3 on the year.

Fargo showed they were ready to play on Saturday night, scoring before most people had sat down at the PREMIER Center, just 40 seconds into the game. Jack Adams got the Force on the board when he took the puck into the slot and made a beautiful backhanded shot that went into the upper right hand corner of the net to give the Force the early 1-0 lead. Sioux Falls would respond a few minutes later when they received a power play opportunity and cashed in. Garrett Cecere blasted a shot from the left point that was deflected in front of net by Jack Becker for his sixth of the season and to tie the game 1-1. That would be the only offense the Herd would have in the first as Fargo controlled most of the play in the rest of the period, outshooting the Stampede 17-5, but the score remained tied 1-1 after 20 minutes of play.

In the second, things slowed down a little bit as both team's mustered just 5 shots each and the game remained tied 1-1 heading into the final period. The Stampede's offense fully awoke in the third period as the Herd scored four times en route to their victory. The momentum switched to the Stampede's favor at the 4:10 mark when the Herd scored shorthanded. The puck bounced off a Fargo defenseman's skate and bounced to Csanad Erdley who skated into the right circle where he wristed a shot past the glove side of Fargo goaltender Ryan Wischow to give Sioux Falls a 2-1 edge. That lit a fire for the Herd who would extend their lead at 8:16 when A.J. Vanderbeck scored on the power play. Jack Suter sent a shot onto the net of Fargo, but the puck bounced back into the slot and that's where Vanderbeck quickly pounced on the puck and wristed it into the back of the net to give the Herd a 3-1 advantage.

The Stampede weren't done in the period as they would score again just as a power play would expire at 14:48 when Carson Gicewicz sent a perfect pass from the left circle into the hands of Courtnall on the right side and Courtnall tapped the puck in to make it a 4-1 game at 17:37. Fargo got desperate to get something going offensively and pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker, but Courtnall put the puck away for good at 17:37 with an empty net goal off another assist from Gicewicz. Fargo would score in the final seconds, but it wouldn't be enough as the Herd captured the victory.

Sioux Falls finished the night 2-for-5 on the power play while Fargo went 0-for-3. The Stampede will not face the Force again now until the final two games of the regular season in April.

The Herd return to action next Friday in Des Moines before returning home on Saturday, February 27th for the 9th annual Sioux Nation Pet Clinic Wiener Dog Races at the PREMIER Center. Visit sfstampede.com for details on how to register your dachshund or to purchase tickets to benefit Dakota Dachshund Rescue. Tickets are also available through the KELOLAND Box Office and Ticketmaster.

Jim Olander Executive Vice President of Business Operations Sioux Falls Stampede Hockey Sioux Falls Canaries Baseball 605-336-6060 ext. 205 olander@sfstampede.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2016


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