Pack the UP Center!

I think it's time to officially dub this weekend 'Pack the UP Center' weekend for the Fargo Force.  The Force are going to need all of the home ice advantage we can give them to sweep the Lancers at home this weekend and take over 1st place in the USHL's West Division.  There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to get at least 4,000 in attendance for the battle for 1st in the division.  Invite all of your friends, get your tickets early to save money.  Bring a group to save even more money!  Let's make this weekend the best regular season weekend of the year so far for the Force!

Go Force!

Force win in Lincoln

The Fargo Force were able to put up a win against Steve Johnson's former team, the Lincoln Stars 2-1.  The Force needed all 60 minutes to win this one as the game winning goal was scored by Nick Oliver on the power play in the final minute of the contest.

Chase Grant opened the scoring with 6:39 remaining in the first period with assists from Corey Leivermann and Nate Condon.  The Stars were able to tie it up on a goal from their newest addition to the roster, Tyler Deresky assisted by Dominik Shine early in the 2nd period.  The Force had difficulties finding the back of the net tonight after putting up 9 on Tri-City but they scored when it counted the most on a goal from Nick Oliver with 45 seconds remaining in the game on the power play.  Matt Leitner and Marek Hrbas assisted on the play.

With the win, Fargo pulled within two points of first place in the West Division of the USHL.  The Force are now 19-2-3 in their last 24 games.  There is a lot of hype starting to build for your Fargo Force.  The Lincoln Stars radio announcer even went as far as dubbing the Force the future 2010 Clark Cup Champions.

The Force have three games in three days against a couple of top opponents in Sioux Falls and Omaha on February 4-6.  See you at the Urban Plains Center this weekend as we take over the top spot in the West Division with a sweep of the Lancers!

Feel free to post comments! :)  Thanks!

Johnson returns to Ice Box

Steve Johnson will take his team to the place where it all started for him in Lincoln, NE. The Fargo Force take on the Stars at the Ice Box tonight and it will be the first time Steve Johnson will be back behind the bench at the Ice Box.

The Fargo Force will look to build on what it started last night in Kearney coming off a big 9-1 win over the Tri-City Storm. Fargo is only three points out of first place in the West Division. Lincoln has struggled this year and are bottom feeders in the West Division of the USHL, but don't let that fool you, this will be a tough game for the Force.

Fargo Force take down Tri-City

Nate Condon, Marek Hrbas and John Stampohar paced the Force with three points a piece as the Fargo Force took down the Tri-City Storm 9-1 in Kearney, NE.  Fargo got a good offensive performance from the team with 16/20 dressed players (including goalie) each tallying at least one point.  Ryan Massa was still challenged between the pipes for the Force as he faced 32 shots stopping 31 of them.

After looking at the box score (without having seen the game) it looks like Oleg Yevenko had a strong game as well for the Force having the best +/- on the team with a +5.  Fargo got goals from Colten St. Clair, Marek Hrbas, Nate Condon (2), Brian Cooper, Garrett Allen, Alex Lippincott, Chase Grant and John Stampohar.  Goals were assisted by:  Nick Romanick, Marek Hrbas (2), Nate Condon, Blake Doerring, Matt Leitner, Corey Leivermann, Chad Demers, Joe Rehkamp, Chase Grant, Johnnie Searfoss, Oleg Yevenko and John Stampohar (2).

The Force will look to continue their strong offensive presence and solid goaltending in Lincoln, NE tomorrow night as they take on the Lincoln Stars.  Lincoln has struggled this season and hopefully Fargo is able to come home with four points before facing two big opponents in Sioux Falls and Omaha at the next home series.

Oleg Yevenko named Defensive Player of the Week

Oleg Yevenko was named the CCM Defensive Player of the Week for Week 17 in the USHL.  Yevenko recorded two points (1g, 1a) and a plus-two rating in the lone game for Fargo last week.  After turning 19-years-old the day before, he assisted on the first goal of the game vs. Team USA.  Later in the contest with his team trailing 3-2, he scored the tying goal with just over seven minutes to play in the third period.  The Force would go on to win the contest 4-3 in a shootout.  The 6-7, 225-pound native of Belarus is playing his first season in the USHL and has tallied six points (2g, 4a) in 32 games for the Force (USHL.com).

Nate Condon named team MVP

Congrats to the Fargo Force's Nate Condon for being named Team Reebok player of the game in last night's USHL All-Star game! Nate scored the first goal of the game just under the 3 minute mark. The West team lost the exciting game 5-4 in OT. One of Nate's future teammates at the University of Minnesota, Ryan Walters, was named MVP after scoring a hat trick in the contest. Congrats to Nate! A well deserved honor.

New Dubuque team takes on classic name

New logo for the Dubuque Fighting Saints which will begin play in the USHL during the 2010-11 season.

Northern Lights Hockey, LLC, the ownership group that is in control of the newest USHL franchise has named the new Dubuque, Iowa franchise the Dubuque Fighting Saints.  


"As part of the naming process, we conducted a poll of Dubuque hockey fans.  The overwhelming choice of name was Fighting Saints," said Brad Kwong, Managing Director for Northern Lights Hockey, LLC. "Clearly, it's a name with which fans can identify.   Many associate the name Fighting Saints with a history of success, the positive relationships they had with many popular players and the numerous great hockey memories."

The original Fighting Saints competed in the USHL for 21 seasons (1980 – 2001).  The Club won the Clark Cup as playoff champions on three occasions (1981, 1983, 1985) under head coach Jack Barzee and produced a number of players that moved on to NCAA Division I hockey and the National Hockey League.  One of the most well-known alumni of the original Fighting Saints was Gary Suter, a 17-year NHL veteran, two time Olympian and Stanley Cup winner.  Suter participated in today's unveiling and signed autographs for the crowd on hand following the unveiling ceremony.

The new Fighting Saints primary logo is a bold, stylized 'D' bisected by a battle-ready sword which has for a handle a fleur de lys, a well-known icon in Dubuque.  A tilted halo sits above the sword.  The secondary marks include other local iconography such as the Julien Dubuque Monument.  The Fighting Saints new colors are Red and White with Silver accents.  "With the logos, we strived to create an identity that would represent the great City of Dubuque in a traditional, classic hockey look", added Kwong. 

The Fighting Saints will have further announcements about the new USHL team in the coming weeks including how fans can reserve the very best seat locations in the new 3,200 seat Mystique Ice Center currently under construction on Chaplain Schmidt Island in Dubuque.  Fans are encouraged to visit www.dubuquefightingsaints.com today to sign up to receive the latest news about the team including information on how to get the first shot at the best seats available for all the exciting USHL action returning to Dubuque for the 2010-11 season.

USNTDP at Fargo - 7:35pm

Mystery Force Player

Rookie night! Can you guess which Force player this is?

Eamonn McDermott

Eamonn McDermott was injured yesterday in practice. Early reports are that he has suffered a fracture of his wrist that will require surgery and keep him out of the line-up for 8-10 weeks. I am sure more details will be made available over the weekend. This is a major blow for the Force and we wish Eamonn a speedy recovery and hope that he is back in time for playoffs.

Cole Gunner traded to Chicago

A reliable source told me today that Cole Gunner was traded to the Chicago Steel.  Pointstreak doesn't have the trade listed on their transactions page so it is not official by any means.  Look out for details upcoming in the next few days.

EDIT:  The trade was finalized and Cole Gunner is now playing for the Chicago Steel.  Fargo got a 3rd round pick in exchange for Gunner.

Resurgence of Cody Campbell

Former Fargo Force goaltender Cody Campbell has been a breath of fresh air for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders.  The trade between the Fargo Force and the Cedar Rapids Roughriders sent what was supposed to be the starting goaltender for the Force for the year to Cedar Rapids in exchange for a conditional draft pick.

Campbell struggled in Fargo early in the season and requested a trade for a fresh start to better his USHL career and it has been paying dividends for the Roughriders and Campbell.  Campbell has posted a 2-1-1 record, a .941 save percentage and a 1.76 GAA for the Riders.

It's nice to see a good kid doing so well in a new environment.  It's also good for the Fargo Force that he is doing so well right now because the conditions of the trade was that if Campbell had good numbers for save percentage with the Roughriders, the Force would get a 2nd round pick next year.  If Campbell struggled in Cedar Rapids, the Force would get a 3rd rounder.  With a shutout in his last game against one of the top offensive teams in Omaha and two goals against in his last three starts, it looks like Cody will be just fine in Cedar Rapids.

From streak to slump

The Fargo Force went from a 9 game winning streak to a two game slump in which they have only scored three goals in two games.  The Force are now on a 2 game losing streak and will look to stop the slump on Friday when they take on Team USA at the Urban Plains Center.

Is the two game losing streak anything to get worked up about?  Most definitely not, but hopefully the Force are able to get back to the winning ways this weekend.  They still inched even closer to Omaha for the top spot in the West Division after Omaha picked up two points in two games over the weekend.  Fargo was able to squeak out four points in three games over the weekend and climb to within three points of Omaha.  Green Bay has now climbed to the top of the USHL with wins over Cedar Rapids and Waterloo this weekend.

Des Moines at Fargo - 7:05pm

Des Moines at Fargo - Live Blog - 7:05pm.  Not going to the Force game because you want to watch the Sioux/Gopher game?  Join us on the live blog to follow the Force during the game!

Des Moines at Fargo - 7:35pm

Fargo Force take on Des Moines this weekend

The Fargo Force will be looking to extend their winning streak to 9 games on Friday and possibly double digits on Saturday.  It is very impressive what the Force have been able to do lately, going 15-2-1 in their last 18 games, surpassing Sioux Falls and inching closer to Omaha for the top spot in the league.  Fargo may find themselves in the hunt for the Anderson Cup at the end of the regular season and have a good chance at making a run in the playoffs.

This weekend, the Fargo Force take on the Des Moines Buccaneers.  Des Moines will be without one of their star players that they had early in the year, Yasin Cisse, who is out with an injury.  Cisse was finally becoming a star in the league posting 5 goals and 3 assists in four games before sustaining an injury that has cost him a significant portion of the season.

Bucs' Players to Watch:

• Connor Brickley - Brickley had a hat trick and a five-point night against the Force in November.  Brickley is also listed as #49 on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Midterm Rankings for North American Skaters.  
• T.J. Tynan - Tynan is another player to watch this weekend.  He has been a key setup man for the Bucs this year and has eight assists in three games against the Force.  He leads the Bucs with 34 assists this season.  His assist total is equal to the point total for the Fargo Force's scoring leader, Matt Leitner.  
• H.T. Lenz - Lenz leads the team in goals scored with 15.
• Ryan Walters - Walters is second on the team in points with 36.  He has 11 goals and 25 assists.
• Force fans will also recognize a familar face as Chris Stafne will make a return to Fargo after a short stint last season with the Fargo Force.  Stafne has 9 goals, 12 assists in 33 games this season with the Bucs.

Fargo Force Blog will be providing the live blog, as we do for all home games, for this weekend as the Force look to sweep the Bucs at the Urban Plains Center!

Two Force players, one Force affiliate goaltender on NHL CSS List

Fargo Force players Eamonn McDermott and Alex Lippincott were ranked 107th and 172nd respectively on the NHL Central Scouting midterm rankings for North American draft-eligible players for 2010.  Fargo Force affiliate Zane Gothberg (Thief River Falls) is ranked as the 5th best North American goaltender eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

From USHL.com:  NHL Central Scouting released its midterm rankings of draft-eligible players in advance of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  Among the rankings are 35 players currently competing in the USHL.

All 14 USHL teams had at least one player listed on the midterm rankings.  A total of 18 forwards, 13 defenseman, and four goaltenders made up the 35 USHL players on the list.

Eleven of the players from the Under-18 squad of Team USA were listed in the midterm rankings of top North American skaters, including defenseman Derek Forbort who was the highest ranked among USHL players at 11th.  In 13 USHL games this season, the 6-4, 195-pound Forbort has posted five points (2g, 3a) and a plus-one rating.  Defenseman Jon Merrill was ranked as 20th and eight other players competing in the USHL this season were listed in the top 50. 

Four USHL goaltenders also made the midterm rankings of North American goaltenders led by Jack Campbell (Team USA) who is listed as 2th.  He has appeared in five USHL contests this season posting a 2-2-1 record with a 1.97 GAA and .921 SV%.  Campbell recently helped the U.S. National Junior Team capture gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship.

USHL Players on NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings

North American Skaters

#11 – Derek Forbort (D), Team USA

#20 – Jon Merrill (D), Team USA

#28 – Stephen Johns (D), Team USA

#30 – Bill Arnold (F), Team USA

#32 – Kevin Lind (D), Chicago Steel

#40 – Justin Faulk (D), Team USA

#41 – Jaden Schwartz (F), Tri-City Storm

#42 – Jarred Tinordi (D), Team USA

#49 – Connor Brickley (F), Des Moines Buccaneers

#50 – Jacob Fallon (F), Team USA

#52 – Brendan Woods (F), Chicago Steel

#55 – Jason Zucker (F), Team USA

#60 – Kevin Gravel (D), Sioux City Musketeers

#71 – Michael Parks (F), Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

#75 – Luke Moffatt (F), Team USA

#76 – Bryan Rust (F), Team USA

#83 – Yasin Cisse (F), Des Moines Buccaneers

#86 – Aaron Harstad (D), Green Bay Gamblers

#95 – Nick Mattson (D), Indiana Ice

#107 – Eamonn McDermott (D), Fargo Force

#122 – Brian Ferlin (F), Indiana Ice

#126 – Ryan Daugherty (F), Omaha Lancers

#130 – Nick Sorkin (F), Waterloo Black Hawks

#132 – Kevin Clare (D), Team USA

#170 – Derek DeBlois (F), Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

#172 – Alex Lippincott (F), Fargo Force

#174 – Scott Wamsganz (F), Waterloo Black Hawks

#177 – Mathieu Brisson (D), Omaha Lancers

#196 – Chris Crane (F), Green Bay Gamblers

#207 – Nick Czinder (F), Youngstown Phantoms

#210 – Andrej Sustr (D), Youngstown Phantoms

North American Goaltenders

#2 – Jack Campbell, Team USA

#5 – Zane Gothberg, Thief River Falls, Fargo Force Affiliate

#12 – Willie Yanakeff, Sioux City Musketeers

#15 – Jared Coreau, Lincoln Stars

#19 – Clay Witt, Sioux Falls Stampede

Don Cherry's claim for Canada's greatness

A video that might make American hockey fans mad...the part I think you would be interested starts at about 4:30 into the video.

Force Force sweep Phantoms

The Fargo Force swept the Youngstown Phantoms at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.  The Force are now only four points out of first place in the West Division and four points away from having the best record in the USHL.

On Friday, the Fargo Force were led by Chase Grant with one goal and an assist and Colten St. Clair with two assists.  The Force also got offensive contributions from:  Garrett Allen (1g), Nick Oliver (1a), Matt Leitner (1a), Corey Leivermann (1g), Nate Condon (1g), Chad Demers (1a), Johnnie Searfoss (1a).  Ryan Massa stopped 24 of 26 in the 4-2 victory.

On Saturday, the Force were led by Matt Leitner with a goal and an assist.  Garrett Allen and John Stampohar also scored for the Force.  Also assisting on the Fargo Force goals were:  Chase Grant, Colten St. Clair, Eamonn McDermott, Corey Leivermann and Blake Doerring.  Ryan Massa stopped 22 of 24 in the 3-2 victory.

It may be too early to say this because they have a long way to go, but the Anderson Cup is looking like it could be a serious possibility for the Fargo Force this year.  The Anderson Cup is the trophy awarded to the top team in the regular season.  Of course the ultimate goal for the Fargo Force is the Clark Cup awarded to the winner of the championship game in the USHL.

Three Questions with former Fargo Force goalie Mike Lee | INFORUM | Fargo, ND

Three Questions with former Fargo Force goalie Mike Lee | INFORUM | Fargo, ND

What was it like starting in two gold medal games in two years?

This one topped the last one a little bit, but it’s obviously very special, and I’m lucky to have had the chance. And winning two gold medals, and beating Canada both times to do it? You can’t beat that.

What was it like playing for Dean Blais again?

Anybody that has played for him understands right away what a special coach he is. We had an amazing year with him last year, and it was really nice to be able to play for him again.

How would you rate your first season playing at St. Cloud State?

It hasn’t gone as well as I would have liked it to, personally (4-5-3, 2.63 goals-against, .909 save percentage), but I always want to be doing better. As a team we’re satisfied with how we’ve been doing lately, and we want to get going into the second half.

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McDermott, Schmidt, Condon and Leitner named to All-Star Team

The United States Hockey League announced today the rosters for the 2010 USHL All-Star Game, which will take place at the Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010.

The two teams competing in the event represent the USHL's East and West Divisions, with each roster consisting of 21 players - six defenseman, 13 forwards, and two goaltenders.  Reebok/CCM, the League's equipment partner and major sponsor of the All-Star Game, has designated the West Division All-Stars as Team Reebok, and the East Division All-Stars asTeam CCM.  With the growth of the USHL to 14 Member Clubs this season, All-Star rosters were set at 21 to accommodate the increasing talent pool in the League. 

USHL All-Stars are determined by a vote from League coaches and general managers along with input from NHL Central Scouting

"As one of the USHL's premiere events, the All-Star Game is a much-anticipated event not only for our fans, but the hundreds of NHL and college scouts who regularly recruit our young stars," said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince.  "Congratulations to all of those chosen – you're the best of the best."

The East Division-leading Green Bay Gamblers and West Division-leading Omaha Lancers each have six players from their respective teams named to the All-Star rosters.  With the Ann-Arbor-based NTDP program joining the League this year, Team USA placed three players on the All-Star rosters; Matthew Nieto, Rocco Grimaldi, and Robbie Russo.  However, Team USA's 2009-10 schedule (which was set prior to their joining the League) prevents the participation of the NTDP stars in this year's game. 

2010 USHL All-Star Rosters

East Division

Defenseman: Bryce Aneloski (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Mac Bennett (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Kevin Lind (Chicago Steel), David Makowski (Green Bay Gamblers), Nick Jensen (Green Bay Gamblers), Nick Mattson (Indiana Ice)

Forwards: Jeff Costello (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Mark Anthoine (Chicago Steel), Andrei Kuchin (Chicago Steel), Ryan Furne (Green Bay Gamblers), Anders Lee (Green Bay Gamblers), Reed Seckel (Green Bay Gamblers), Shane Berschbach (Indiana Ice), Max Cook (Indiana Ice),Bryon Paulazzo (Indiana Ice), Tyler Barnes (Waterloo Black Hawks), Brock Montpetit (Waterloo Black Hawks), Nick Czinder (Youngstown Phantoms), Taylor Holstrom (Youngstown Phantoms)

Goaltenders: Steve Summerhays (Green Bay Gamblers), Cab Morris (Indiana Ice) 

West Division

Defenseman: Austin Coldwell (Des Moines Buccaneers), Eamonn McDermott (Fargo Force), Nate Schmidt (Fargo Force), Dennis Brown(Omaha Lancers), C.J. Ludwig (Omaha Lancers), Chad Ruhwedel (Sioux Falls Stampede)

Forwards: Connor Brickley (Des Moines Buccaneers), T.J. Tynan (Des Moines Buccaneers), Nate Condon (Fargo Force), Matt Leitner (Fargo Force), David Gerths (Lincoln Stars), Seth Ambroz (Omaha Lancers), Erik Haula (Omaha Lancers), Matt White (Omaha Lancers), Stephan Vigier (Sioux City Musketeers), Matt Lindblad (Sioux Falls Stampede), Michael Voran (Sioux Falls Stampede), Radoslav Illo (Tri-City Storm),Jaden Schwartz (Tri-City Storm)

Goaltenders: Jeff Teglia (Omaha Lancers), Clay Witt (Sioux Falls Stampede)
(USHL.com)

Force make a leap

From USHL.com:


The Fargo Force have jumped into sole possession of second place in the West Division standings thanks to a five-game winning streak.  Four of those victories have been by a single goal.  The team overcame a 4-1 deficit on Saturday when they tallied four goals in the second period and eventually defeated Omaha 6-5.  Chase Grant netted two goals in the win bringing his total to eight goals over a five-game goal streak.  Goaltender Dayn Belfour earned his first USHL victory on Saturday when he played the final two periods and stopped 12-of-13 shots he faced.  He stopped 30 shots the following evening for his second straight win.  Team leading scorer Matt Leitner scored three goals over three games during the week.  He now has 14 goals through 24 games, matching his total through 56 games last season.  John Stampohar and Nicholas Romanick each scored their first goal of the season in Sunday’s 6-5 win vs. Sioux Falls.  Corey Leivermann dished out five assists during the three-win week.

Sioux City at Fargo - 7:05pm

Mike Lee, Dean Blais to compete for Gold

Former Fargo Force player Mike Lee and coach Dean Blais will be competing in the IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal game on Tuesday, January 5.  What a tournament for two people from our organization to be a part of as they will be competing for the Gold medal on Tuesday.  Team USA has not won this tournament since 2004.  2004 was also the last time that Canada has not won the Gold medal so there is another streak that can be snapped with a United States victory.

Mike Lee is 4-0 at the IIHF World Junior Championships and is likely to start against Canada in the Gold medal game after a solid performance against the heavily favored Swedes.  Lee has put up some outstanding numbers to go along side the four wins.  He currently has a 92.86% save percentage and 2.00 goals against average.

Fargo Force take sole possession of 2nd in West

The Fargo Force were able to squeak out a win in Sioux Falls tonight by defeating the herd 6-5.  With the win, the Force take over sole possession of 2nd place in the West Division of the USHL.  

Fargo got goals from six different players in the win.  Colten St. Clair started things off in the first period on a power play goal from Corey Leivermann and Eamonn McDermott.  Sioux Falls answered about four minutes later to make it 1-1.  John Stampohar netted his first goal for the Force assisted by Oleg Yevenko.  Garrett Allen would make it 3-1 before the end of the first period on the power play.  Eamonn McDermott and Nick Oliver picked up assists on the goal.

The Force started early in the 2nd period by making it 4-1 on a goal from Nate Schmidt assisted by Garrett Allen and Matt Leitner.  Nick Romanick scored his first goal of his USHL career to make it 5-1 with assists from Corey Leivermann and Grant Scott.

Like any great team, Sioux Falls proved to be resilient and scored midway through the second period to make it 5-2 on the power play.  Sioux Falls continued their comeback in the third period with a power play goal 2:45 into the final stanza and another goal to make it 5-4 five minutes later.

Nick Oliver extended Fargo's lead to 6-4 and the insurance marker would prove to be important as the herd was able to pop one more goal in with the empty net to make it 6-5 before the final buzzer sounded with the Force winning the game and claiming 2nd place in the West Division.

Marek Hrbas finds success in World Hockey Challenge

Marek Hrbas, defenseman for the Fargo Force, has found success playing for his country in the World Hockey Challenge in Timmins, Ontario.

Hrbas finished 11th in the tournament in scoring with 4 goals and 3 assists in 5 games.  He also led the Czech team in scoring and was the top scoring defenseman in the entire tournament.

The Czechs were not as successful overall as Hrbas, finishing 8th in the tournament.

Fargo Force win wild one in Omaha

Fargo took on the top team in the USHL tonight and it was a wild one in Omaha.  Garrett Allen started things off for Fargo 6:12 into the first period but it was all Omaha in the first period as they scored four straight en route to Ryan Massa's departure with 4 goals against on 10 shots.

The Fargo Force were able to regain their composure after the first period as they came out flying in the second period with four goals of their own.  Matt Leitner scored two goals in the second period.  Chase Grant and Colten St. Clair would also add a goal apiece.

Fargo would get some much needed insurance early in the third period on captain Chase Grant's second goal of the game to make the game 6-4.  Minnesota Wild draft pick, Erik Haula would score a goal shorthanded about a minute and a half after Grant's goal and the Force were able to hold off the Lancers from there.  Dayn Belfour made 12 saves on 13 shots in two periods of work for Fargo.

Colten St. Clair, Chase Grant and Matt Leitner each had three points in the game to lead the Force.  Garrett Allen had a goal and an assist.  Corey Leivermann added two assists.  Joe Rehkamp, Nate Schmidt and Eamonn McDermott also each added an assist in the win for Fargo.

Chase Grant remains one of the hottest players in the USHL with the three point game.  Grant was the Offensive Player of the Week before Christmas break.  He is now on a 6-game point streak and 5-game goal-scoring streak with 8 goals and three assists during that span.

Fargo Force are back in action tomorrow in Sioux Falls for their 3rd game in four days including two games against top teams in the USHL.  Fargo can take sole possession of 2nd place in the West Division with a win over Sioux Falls Stampede tomorrow.

Fargo Force take on top team in USHL today

Fargo Force take on the top team in the USHL tonight as they take on the Omaha Lancers.  Two of their top forwards, Matt White (49 points) and Erik Haula (40) are nearly doubling the scoring leaders for the Force.  Fargo will have to step up their defensive game against Omaha's top line.  Omaha's talent doesn't drop off there.  Omaha has three other 20 point players in Seth Ambroz, Dakota Eveland and defenseman Dennis Brown.

Last time the Force faced off against the Lancers in Omaha, they were able to come away with a 5-2 win.  That game was played at a time when the Force were not playing their best hockey in October.  If Fargo wants to consider themselves in the top echelon of teams in the USHL, they will want to beat Omaha again and move two points closer to the top.

Fargo is coming off a comeback victory against Team USA U-18 team 4-3 on New Year's Eve.  Omaha is coming off a 5-3 win over the Musketeers in Sioux City.