Force Defeat Sioux City on Haunted Halloween
November 1, 2022 – United States Hockey League (USHL) – Fargo Force News Release
The Fargo Force avenged their Friday night loss against the Sioux City Musketeers with a dominant 7-2 victory highlighted by 5 powerplay goals and 2 shorthanded goals on Saturday night at Scheels Arena.
The boys came out firing on all cylinders with a goal just 2:47 into the opening frame. It was Verner Miettinen who cashed in on the man-advantage with a beautiful backhand goal assisted by Cole Knuble and Joe Palodichuk. Miettinen’s tally was his fourth of the 2022-23 season.
Knuble and Miettinen paired up again at 11:53 for the Force’s second goal of the night. A pretty feed from Miettinen found Knuble on the doorstep with open space and number 22 tucked it home just inside the right goal post for his fifth of the season.
The special team’s scoring didn’t quit there. While on the penalty kill, Kyle Smolen scooped up a loose puck and took off down the ice on a solo breakaway, he fired a backhand right past the goalie’s blocker and into the back of the net. Two minutes later Knuble tallied his second goal of the game on the powerplay assisted by Swanson and Link extending the Force’s lead to 4-0 heading into the second period.
Sioux City battled back in the second scoring their first goal of the game at 1:44 in the middle frame. The Musketeers continued to push hard putting up 14 SOG against Fargo netminder Matej Marinov but he put up a wall, keeping the score at 4-1 heading into the final 20 minutes.
The Musketeer’s Sam Deckhut scored the second goal for Sioux City off of a fortuitous bounce in front cutting the lead to 4-2 Fargo. That score didn’t last long as Force Forward Anthony Menghini followed up with the Fargo’s second shorthanded goal of the game. A clearing pass from Leo Gruba was tracked down by Miettinen who found Menghini in front of the goal crease putting the Force up 5-2
With 10 minutes left the Force added another powerplay tally once again courtesy of Miettinen, Palodichuk and Knuble. A passing play from Miettinen to Palodichuk to Knuble back to Miettinen cleared up space as the Finlan Native fired in a one timer for his second goal and fourth point of the game. With :54 seconds remaining Fargo added their final tally of the night thanks to a powerplay goal from Boris Skalos, his first of the season.
With tonight’s win the Force improved to 6-2-0-1, keeping their place as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Force netminder Matej Marinov saved 32 of Sioux City’s 34 shots in the win, making key saves in all three periods Special teams put on a show in tonight’s contest going 5/8 on the powerplay, and 2 shorthanded tallies.
The Force look to keep the momentum going against the Tri-City Storm next Thursday and Friday at Scheels Arena both games at 7:05PM
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