Doug Grimes scored the game-winning goal and added three assists as the Lincoln Stars defeated the Fargo Force, 3-2, on Saturday night at the Ice Box.
Lincoln (18-9-1) scored two power-play goals for the third time in the last four games to sit four points back of first-place Fargo (19-7-0-3). The Stars have won three-of-four games in the season series, including each of the last three games. Three of the Force's seven regulation losses have been to the Stars.
Three other Stars also recorded multi-point nights in addition to Grimes. Antonio Fernandez scored a goal and added an assist on the game-winning tally. Tanner Ludtke also scored and added an assist in the win and Mason Marcellus recorded two apples to remain first in the USHLin assists.
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Lincoln's power play scored twice, marking the third time in the last four games that it scored multiple times. The Stars are 6-for-10 in the last four games on the man advantage and have won three-of-four times. Saturday's win also improved the Stars to 10-2-1 at the Ice Box.
"Every time we get to play in front of these fans we don't take it for granted," head coach Rocky Russo said. "We know how important that is and we we knew tonight was gonna be a big-time challenge. They got beat handily last night and they have a great club and a great staff and they weren't gonna roll over. I thought our resolve today in certain situations when we were playing really well was great and all we battled through some adversity. That's definitely a playoff-style hockey game."
Lincoln never trailed over the course of the weekend but found itself tied with Fargo a couple of times on Saturday night. The Force knotted it up when Boris Skalos cashed in at the 7:16 mark with his third goal of the season but Grimes put the Stars ahead for good with one second left on the power play just over five-and-a-half minutes later. He redirected a shot from Fernandez from inside the right-wing circle after Ludtke kept the possession alive by forcing a turnover in the near corner.
"We knew that they were trying to take away the down-low plays so we were working it high there," Grimes said. "I knew Tony has a great shot and makes a lot of good plays and he was coming down that side and I know he was going to put something to the net so I just tried to get there and luckily it took a couple bounces, hit off a leg or something and went in."
It was Grimes' second goal in as many games and fifth point of the weekend. Grimes has recorded a point in three-of-four games since missing nine games due to injury. He has been on the ice for each of Lincoln's last six power-play goals and has a goal or an assist on five of them.
Ludtke has also enjoyed plenty of success on the man advantage in the last two weekends. He scored his team-leading sixth power-play goal in the first period off a cross-ice, no-look pass from Grimes at the 7:12 mark. Ludtke also leads the Stars with 15 goals and has found the back of the net in seven-of-the-last nine games. Four of his last five goals have come on the power play.
Fargo tied the game up just over three-and-a-half minutes later to tie the two teams up after 20 minutes. Fernandez scored his fourth of the season and 18th career goal with the Stars at the 5:50 mark of the second. He corralled a puck at the edge of the blue line along the boards on the far side of the ice and tossed it through the traffic and into the net.
Cameron Whitehead won his third consecutive start in net by stopping 22 shots.
The Stars earned their fifth weekend sweep of the season and head into a pivotal matchup with the Tri-City Storm next weekend. Lincoln is 4-3-1 against Tri-City, but has lost three of the last four meetings. The Storm have won four straight games and seven points back of the Stars for second place in the Western Conference. Friday's game begins at 7:05 p.m. and will be at the Viaero Center before a 6:05 p.m. puckdrop for Star Wars Night at the Ice Box on Saturday. Fans can purchase a McDonald's Family Four Pack and get four tickets and two Star Wars-themed pucks for $65 at lincolnstars.com.
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