Sioux City is just one win away from their second Clark Cup Finals appearance in three years. The Musketeers scored three times in the second period of Thursday's game to stun the Fargo Force.
Sioux City is just one win away from their second Clark Cup Finals appearance in three years. The Musketeers scored three times in the second period of Thursday's game to stun the Fargo Force.
The Sioux City Musketeers are on the verge of their second Clark Cup Finals appearance in three seasons. After falling behind 1-0 on Thursday, the Muskies scored four straight goals, including three in a 9:24 span in the second period.
Forward Kaden Shahan found the back of the net twice and was one of three Sioux City skaters to record multi-point efforts.
With the win, Sioux City takes a 2-1 series lead and has a chance to clinch on home ice on Friday night against the Anderson Cup Trophy winners.
Fargo's Lee Parks opened the scoring at the 4:16 mark of the first period, walking the puck into the offensive zone and wristing a shot into the Sioux City net.
Despite being outshot 12-3 in the opening 20 minutes, Colin Kessler, who scored twice in Game 2, found the back of the net for the third time this postseason late in the first period.
"We kind of survived that period," Sioux City head coach Jason Kersner said via KCAU 9 News. "We were fortunate to get to the room tied, and then I thought we just kind of woke up a little bit. We got on our toes, and we started executing in the way that we needed to."
Approaching the midway point of the second period, Kessler fired a shot from long distance, and Ethan Gardula buried the rebound past Fargo netminder Hampton Slukynsky to give Sioux City a 2-1 lead.
Over six minutes later, Shahan scored the first of his two goals on a partial breakaway. Just before the second-period horn, Giacomo Martino darted through the slot and rifled a shot into the back of the net on the Musketeers' power play.
Leading 4-1 after 40 minutes, Zam Plante cut Fargo's deficit to two goals after deflecting Parks' centering pass from below the right-wing circle.
However, Sioux City restored its three-goal lead and preserved the win on Shahan's second tally of the night via the empty-netter.
The Musketeers will look to punch their ticket to the Clark Cup Finals on Friday, with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
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