General | 5/9/2024 7:00:00 PM

For Immediate Release | May 9, 2024
USHL News | Clark Cup Playoffs
 
Dubuque and Fargo Square-off in 2024 Clark Cup Final
It's the top team in the Eastern Conference vs. the top team in the Western Conference to determine this year's USHL playoff champion
 
The Dubuque Fighting Saints, which captured this year's Eastern Conference regular-season title, and the Fargo Force, which for the second year in a row finished first in the Western Conference and won the Anderson Cup with the top record in the USHL over the course of the 62-game schedule, will meet to determine this year's Clark Cup Champion.
 
The Fighting Saints posted a 41-13-3-5 mark this year in finishing first in the Eastern Conference. Led by the USHL's top goal-scorer in Noah Powell, Dubuque tallied 271 goals in 2023-24 and averaged 4.37 goals per game in ranking second in the league in both categories.  Powell, who scored 43 goals and ranked fifth in the league in scoring with 74 points, was one of five Fighting Saints players who tallied at least 60 points this year - Erik Pahlsson (28-44—72), Jake Sondreal (27-242—69), Beckett Hendrickson (27-37—64) and James Reeder (20-40—60).
 
Joona Vaisanen (9-31—40) led Dubuque's blue line corps in scoring while tying for fourth amongst all league defensemen with a +31 mark.  Kevin Reidler, a four-time USHL Goaltender of the Week honoree this year, posted a 27-5-2-4 won-loss record with a 2.86 goals against average, a .902 save percentage and three shutouts.
 
Under the direction of Kirk MacDonald, Dubuque advanced to the Clark Cup Final with a 3-1 Eastern Conference semifinals series win over Muskegon and a 3-0 series win in the Conference final over Muskegon.
 
Led by first-year head coach Brett Skinner, the Fargo Force began the year with its foot on the gas, winning its first 10 games and never really let up on the way to a record-setting 50-10-2-0 mark. 

2024 NHL Draft prospect Mac Swanson was the top Force offensive threat, finishing third in the USHL in scoring with 77 points on 26 goals and a league-high 51 assists. Fargo also boasted the USHL's top-scoring defenseman in Leo Gruba (22-35—57) and a first-year netminder in Hampton Slukynsky who led the league in every important goaltending statistical category with a 28-3-0-0 record, 1.86 goals against average, .923 save percentage and five shutouts. 
 
Fargo stood atop the league with 272 goals scored, finished allowing the fewest goals (143), finished first with a 86.2% mark on the penalty kill and ranked second in the league with a 31.2 power play percentage.
 
The Force swept Tri-City in the Western Conference Semifinals before earning a 3-2 series victory over Sioux City in the Western Conference Final to advance to this year's best-of-five Clark Cup Final.
 
Dubuque and Fargo met twice during the course of this season with Fargo picking up a 4-0 win in Dubuque Oct. 14 and the Fighting Saints claiming a 4-3 overtime victory in Fargo on a Lucas St. Louis power-play goal Nov. 3.
 
This year marks the second time the two teams have met in the Clark Cup Final. Dubuque won the 2013 Championship by sweeping the Force 3-0.
 
This year's best-of-five Clark Cup Final is scheduled to get underway Friday in Fargo with a 7:05 p.m. face-off slated for Scheels Arena.