Storm Set for Conference Semifinal Series against Force
April 20, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release
FARGO, ND. - The Tri-City Storm is set for Game #1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Fargo Force tonight at Scheels Arena after advancing past the Sioux Falls Stampede in the opening round of the postseason. The Conference Semifinals Round of the Clark Cup Playoffs is a Best-Of-Five series. Game #1 and Game #2 will be played at Scheels Arena, Game #3 and Game #4 (*If Necessary) will be played at the Viaero Center, and Game #5 (*If Necessary) will be played at Scheels Arena. Tonight's opening game of the Conference Semifinals series between the Storm and the Force is scheduled to begin at 6:05pm CT.
Tri-City (2-1, #4 Seed) advanced into the second round of the postseason following an 8-3 win over the Sioux Falls Stampede at the Viaero Center on Wednesday night. Artemi Nizameyev (3), Nolan Roed (2), Owen Beckner (2), and Nick Roukounakis scored goals for the Storm in the victory. Jake Rozzi was named the USHL's Forward of the Opening Round of the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs for his six-point performance. Rozzi currently leads all players in the USHL this postseason with six points. Artemi Nizameyev, Nolan Roed, and August Falloon are tied for the second-most points recorded by any player in the league during the playoffs with five. Tri-City and Sioux Falls were the only two teams in the league to win multiple games against the Fargo Force during the regular season. The Force won every head-to-head series played this season, except for one, in the team's six-game series against the Storm. The Storm tied the regular season series with a final head-to-head record of 3-2-0-1. Tri-City won a 4-3 overtime decision at Scheels Arena on January 18th, 2024, and the Storm captured five of a possible six points against the Force in a three-game home series at the Viaero Center March 15th-18th, 2024. Scoring leaders for the Storm through the opening round of the postseason include Jake Rozzi (3), Artemi Nizameyev (3), Nolan Roed (3), Owen Beckner (3), and August Falloon (2).
Fargo (0-0, #1 Seed) opens the postseason tonight at Scheels Arena after receiving a bye through the opening round of the playoffs. The Force finished the regular season with a final score of 50-10-2-0. Fargo became the first team in the history of the USHL to record a fifty-win season, and broke the league's points record by four points. The Force finished with a 25-3-2 record on home ice, the best in franchise history. Seven of the top ten players in the league in plus/minus were from the Force this season. The Force captured the Anderson Cup Championship for the second consecutive season by posting the best record in the league during the regular season. Fargo eliminated the Storm from the Conference Semifinals Round of the postseason last year, before eventually falling in the 2023 Clark Cup Final to the Youngstown Phantoms. Scoring leaders for the Force through the sixty-two-game regular season were Lee Parks (30), Mac Swanson (26), Zam Plante (26), Jake Fisher (23), Leo Gruba (22), and Harper Bentz (20). The Force will host the Storm again for Game #2 of the Best-Of-Five series Monday night at 7:05pm CT.
Tonight's playoff game is set to begin at 6:05pm CT, and will be streamed on FloHockey and Storm Radio . Tickets to postseason games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to www.StormHockey.com , or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office at 308-338-8144. Viaero Wireless is the presenting sponsor of the Tri-City Storm.
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