(KNFL/KFGO) – A sold out crowd at Scheels Arena was ready to watch their Fargo Force start their playoff run this evening, as the Force welcomed in the Sioux City Musketeers after a first round bye, for Game 1 of the best-of-5 Western Conference Semifinal round. The Force are looking to make it to the Clark Cup Final for the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons. They had won the Clark Cup in 2023-24, the first season in which current head coach and general manager of the Force, Brett Skinner, was in his first season at the helm. Fargo, in the regular season, went 4-2-1-1 against the Musketeers. Sioux City came off a 2-0 series sweep of Tri-City in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Fargo goalie, Ajay White, would be on a roll. However, Ajay would get some reinforcement.
Fargo would strike first at the 4:52 mark of the 1st period, as Kolin Sisson would light the lamp for Fargo’s first lead, and goal of the postseason. Sisson would be assisted by North Dakota commit, Garrett Lindberg, and Stepan Cerny. A little less than 10 minutes later, at the 14:32 mark of the 1st, Cullen McCrate would score a goal for Fargo, while being assisted by Kollin Sisson. Fargo would lead 2-0 going into the 2nd period. The Force would get an unassisted goal from Gavin Uhlenkamp at the 9;55 mark of the 2nd, to make it 3-0. In the 3rd period, Fargo would get on a power play, where Graham Jones made it 4-0 Fargo, with the lone power play goal of the game at the 6:03 mark of the 3rd period. Zac Zimmerman would record an assist, and so would Garrett Lindberg, who got 2 total assists in the game. Sioux City would get a goal in the 3rd from Aidan Dyer, and assisted by Lenny Giger.
Fargo’s netminder Ajay White was astounding, stopping 30 of the 31 Sioux City shots. Ajay White is committed to the University of St. Thomas. The Force would get 46 shots off, but Sioux City netminder, Jack Fickthorn, stopped 42 of those shots. All 4 goals for Fargo were scored by 4 individual skaters, them being Kolin Sisson, Cullen McCrate, Gavin Uhlenkamp, and Graham Jones.
The Fargo Force will look to take a 2-0 series in Game 2 of the series against Sioux City at Scheels Arena tomorrow evening. The puck drop is set for 5:05 PM. For games 3, and 4 if Sioux City wins at least one game, will be held at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Those games would take place this coming Thursday and Friday.
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