Takeaways from both 2024 USHL Clark Cup Playoff games on Monday night
Monday night's USHL action in the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs saw the Sioux City Musketeers and Fargo Force collect wins in their respective series.
The Musketeers defeated the Lincoln Stars in a three-game sweep to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Meanwhile, Fargo downed the Tri-City Storm to take a 2-0 series lead.
Let's go to our key takeaways from both games.
Hanson Pots OT Winner
Sioux City outshot Lincoln 34-16, and Ty Hanson scored at the 3:19 mark of overtime to send the Musketeers to their second Conference Final in three years.
Giacomo Martino opened the scoring for Sioux City on a wrister from the right-wing circle with seven minutes left in the first period.
The Muskies grabbed a 2-0 lead on Ethan Gardula's first of the postseason on a backhander to beat Lincoln's Yan Shostak.
The Stars tied the game with two goals coming 53 seconds apart. Adam Kleber cleaned up a rebound in front before Keaton Peters ripped a shot from the high slot into the Sioux City net.
The third period went scoreless, giving way to Hanson's heroics in the extra session.
Musketeers netminder Samuel Urban turned aside 14 of 16 shots.
Force Score Three Unanswered
Tate Taylor broke a 1-1 tie at the 7:39 mark of the second period in what proved the game-winning goal for the Fargo Force.
Tri-City's Nick Roukounakis wasted no time giving the Storm an early 1-0 lead, burying a wrister from the left side of the cage on a beautiful feed from below the net.
Fargo responded with two goals in the second period, including Michael Quinn's first of the postseason on a centering feed from Brasen Boser.
Taylor put the Force in front on a power-play goal before Mac Swanson provided the dagger via the empty-netter with 37 seconds left in regulation.
Force netminder Hampton Slukynsky stopped 18 of 19 shots on goal and has a 0.953 save percentage in two postseason games.
Fargo can punch their ticket to the Conference Final on Wednesday.