Mason Marcellus scored the game-winning goal for the second time in the last three games and the Lincoln Stars defeated the Fargo Force, 4-3, in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday night at Scheels Arena.
The Force led 2-0 after 20 minutes but the Stars outscored them 3-1 over the final two periods. They scored two goals 14 seconds apart and added a shorthanded goal to light the lamp three times in the second period.
Marcellus scored the only goal of the third period at the 10:56 mark for his sixth game-winning goal of the season, including the regular season. A one-timer by Jack Larrigan was denied and the rebound came right to Marcellus in front of the net.
"(Larrigan) set me up the shift before and I should have buried one there," Marcellus said. "Lucky enough he, (Doug Grimes) and (Boston Buckberger) made a great play on that goal and I was lucky enough that it came to me."
Marcellus has four goals and seven points this postseason, both tied for tops on the Stars. He, Larrigan and Grimes have combined for seven goals and 18 points in seven postseason games.
After Fargo's hot start Lincoln got a couple of power-play opportunities to try and seize back the momentum. A high-sticking double minor late in the first was killed off but Buckberger drew a penalty and then scored 20 seconds into the man advantage for his first goal of the postseason. Buckberger leads all defensemen and is tied with Marcellus and two others for the second-most points (7) this postseason.
Just 14 seconds after Buckberger cut the deficit in half former Force forward German Yavash tied the game with his first tally of the postseason. Klavs Veinbergs went on the forecheck in the near corner and Dashel Oliver pulled the puck away from the defense to feed Yavash in front of the net to tie the game up at the 2:33 mark of the second. Yavash was acquired by the Stars from the Force in February and has now scored six goals with Lincoln, regular season included.
Fargo retook the lead 2:22 later but an incredible effort by Tanner Ludtke tied the game up again. With the Stars shorthanded Ludtke hunted multiple puck handlers at the Fargo blue line and poked it free from Zam Plante. Ludtke glided in from the near boards to the net and lifted the puck past goaltender Matej Marinov for his fourth goal of the postseason. That was the last of a combined four goals between the two teams in the period before the Stars would take their first lead of the series at the 8:26 mark of the third.
"I told the guys during the second intermission," head coach Rocky Russo said, "that a series doesn't change until the home team loses a game. If you can win a game on the road in a series like this, then you flip the home-ice advantage and we've done that. We've got a best-of-three with two-out-of-three coming at our home building."
The Stars' road victory evens up the series, 1-1, as it shifts to Lincoln.  Game 3 is Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at the Ice Box before  Game 4 the next night at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for both games can be purchased for $10 at  lincolnstars.com .
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