General | 5/10/2024 10:15:17 PM

For Immediate Release | May 10, 2024
USHL News | 2023-24 Clark Cup Playoffs
 
Fargo Skates to 3-1 Win in First Game of Clark Cup Final
Svoboda scores game-winning goal and registers two points as Force overcome Fighting Saints in series-opener
 
    Fargo, N.D. --- The best-of-five 2024 Clark Cup Final got underway Friday in Fargo and it was the host Fargo Force who picked up the 3-1 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
 
The Force, who captured this year’s Anderson Cup as the USHL’s regular-season champions, took an early lead in the game and never trailed in downing the Fighting Saints.
 
All-USHL First Team defenseman Leo Gruba took the puck from his own end before skating to the middle of the ice in Dubuque’s end and rifling a shot high on the stick side past Kevin Reidler to open the scoring at 2:59 of the first period.  The Force took a 2-0 lead at 9:43 after Brandon Svoboda redirected a shot from Michael La Starza into the net and that’s how the score stood after the first 20 minutes of action.
 
The Fighting Saints made it a one-goal game at 18:25 of the second frame when defenseman Joona Vaisanen, a member of this year’s All-USHL First Team, found the puck on the backdoor and buried a shot past Hampton Slukynsky and at the end of the second the score stood 2-1 in favor of Fargo.
 
The Force, who outshot the Fighting Saints by a 31-23 margin in the contest, killed off a five-on-three Dubuque power play with five minutes remaining in the third period before closing out the victory win an empty-net goal from Mac Swanson with 39 seconds left in the game.
 
Svoboda finished with two points on a goal and an assist in the game and netminder Hampton Slukynsky had 22 saves. Dubuque goaltender Kevin Reidler had 28 saves for the Fighting Saints
 
Game two between Fargo and Dubuque is slated for a 6:05 p.m. CST face-off Saturday night at Scheels Arena in Fargo.
 
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