Offense picking up
As the Force enter their three-game homestand this weekend, the offense has been on an upswing, and a large part of it is because of the emergence of a second line.
Josh Birkholz had two goals in his first game back from the 2008 World Junior Challenge, and linemate Johnnie Searfoss has six points in his last three games. (Read a story about Searfoss in Friday's Forum). The line of those two and Matt Leitner has been great, and Searfoss is not tied for the team lead in scoring with nine points.
Coach Dean Blais said he'll keep those three together this weekend at the very least. He also said he's going to stick Oleg Lee on a line with the Keegan Flaherty and Nate Condon.
Flaherty, who is the team's other nine-point scorer, has eight goals on the year and has scored a goal in four straight games. Condon is second on the team with five goals.
Fargo is still the lowest-scoring team in the USHL, but have been consistently between 30-40 shots the last six games -- except for a 21-shot effort against Lincoln on Nov. 1.
Mike Lee has been solid in goal all season, and was the USHL's goaltender of the week last week. He only played in one game -- a 4-1 win over Sioux City last Friday -- where he allowed one goal and stopped 22 shots.
It's improbable that Lee would start all three games this weekend, but it's a possibility if the Force can limit the number of opportunities from the opposition on Friday and Saturday.
Posted by: Collins on 11/20/2008 at 8:26 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Birkholz, Condon make it official
Fargo forwards Josh Birkholz and Nate Condon have signed letters of intent to go to the University of Minnesota.
The two talented forwards committed to the Golden Gophers awhile ago, and were two of six players to sign with the school during the early signing period for coach Don Lucia. Birkholz hails from Maple Grove, Minn., and Condon is from Wausau, Wis.
The other four players are all from Minnesota, and are Jake Youso of International Falls, Zach Budish of Edina, Seth Helgeson of Faribault and Nick Leddy of Eden Prairie.
Budish will likely miss this hockey season because of a knee injury incurred during the football season, but Lucia said he should be ready to go by next fall for the Gophers.
Posted by: Collins on 11/20/2008 at 12:30 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Three-day weekend
The Force are getting rewarded (or punished) this weekend for playing nine of their first 10 games of the season on the road.
Fargo will be playing home games Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend, after going 1-1 in Iowa last weekend.
The Force host Cedar Rapids on Friday, Lincoln on Saturday and Sioux Falls on Sunday. The Friday and Saturday games are at 7:05 p.m., and the Sunday game is set to start at 4 p.m.
Fargo beat Sioux City 4-1 last Friday, but dropped a 5-2 decision to Waterloo on Saturday.
Posted by: Collins on 11/17/2008 at 5:24 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
In case you missed it...
The Fargo Force have the franchise's first winning streak.
Fargo dumped Sioux City 4-1 on Friday, getting a pair of goals and an assist from Josh Birkholz. Johnnie Searfoss and Keegan Flaherty added the other scores.
The Force dominated the Musketeers, taking a 4-0 lead into the final period. It looks like there was no hangover from World Junior A Challenge for Birkholz and goaltender Mike Lee, who stopped 22 shots in the win. The only goal for Sioux City came on the power play, and it came off the stick of Jake Johnson.
Fargo takes on Waterloo at 7 p.m. Saturday. A victory will give the Force their first weekend sweep in team history.
Posted by: Collins on 11/15/2008 at 12:36 PM | Comments (4) | Permalink
Live Blog Jr.: Force vs. Roughriders
Contrary to the woman in Canada who was busted for DUI on a Zamboni, the young lad cleaning the ice here at the Urban Plains Center is turning in nice, clean corners and is flawless on the straightaway.
This is the Force vs. Cedar Rapids. In the interest of full disclosure, your blogger tonight hasn't covered a hockey game in recent memory, which must go back a couple, three years. Who knows. Our Force guy is still busy with high school football playoffs, so you get the B team again tonight.
Not sure what the Cedar Rapids logo is, you need to be at most 3 feet away to decipher it. Looks like a shield of some type ... oh well, on to the game ...
FIRST PERIOD
Whoa, people hardly sat down and Cedar on the board -- 1:08 into it. Cody Murphy redirected a pass out front with assists from Ben Lynch and Brett Gensler.
CR 1, Force 0.
Force in penalty killing mode, knocking off two minute hook to Condon and, a minute later, having to do the same. Success -- 11:30 left.
Force on first power play. Nice save on tip Cole Gunner. CR full strength.
Reader comment: Crowd OK, not venture a guess, OK, about 2 thousand. No food in the press box; probably not a Jr. hockey thing.
Force applying pressure late in the period, but no bonanza -- which pretty much summed up its game against Omaha last night. Tip by Chase Grant hits the pipe.
First 15 minutes in the books.
SECOND PERIOD
Told by a person in the know that quite a few folks from GF-East Grand area in the building. There's a switch; somebody from up there coming down here to watch a hockey game.
So far, a lot of mish-mash at center ice. No real scoring threats first five minutes. CR called for interference; Force on the PP at 14:43.
Breakthrough, Searfoss takes great pass at the blue line, gets behind CR defense and beats goalie over right shoulder.
Searfoss (McDermott)
CR 1, FF 1.
Force score again. Chris Franks, unassisted.
FF 2, CR 1.
Franks skated in on left side, backhand, goes off pipe and in as big scrum converges on net. I revise my earlier crowd estimate; has to be over 3,000. FYI: Both Searfoss and Franks get first goals of the year.
Reader comment: only one question per comment please. I'm a little hockey writing rusty.
Campbell hanging in there at net after quick first period score. Looks steady. Force seem to have a slight advantage in puck control this period.
7:27: save of the night to Campbell, who gets quick pad on CR player in front. Crowd approves.
CR power play. Witkowski high stick, also gets 10 min misconduct. PP killed. Force on power play, 2:41 left. Not much action on goal, though. Apology accepted from reader; don't let it happen again.
End of period.
THIRD PERIOD
Shots on goal: Force 19, CR 16.
Not a good start for Force, Spinell whistled for high stick; CR on power play.
Flaherty turns in game's best play. Splits the defense with pure speed and sticks one in the 5-hole. League's best team in danger of being taken down.
Flaherty (Searfoss, McCarthy), 15:52.
FF 3, CR 1.
Force skating well. Keep in mind CR had league's best stats coming in scoring 45 goals and giving up just 17 in its 9-1 record.
Attendance: 3,148, meaning I was right on the money thank you very little.
8 minutes left, CR not getting many good looks at Campbell.
7:40: Force on power play. Force give it back on a stupid crosscheck penalty by Flaherty. Teams 4 on 4.
1:30 left, this one all but over.
Posted by: Jeff Kolpack on 11/8/2008 at 6:52 PM | Comments (16) | Permalink