FARGO, N.D. – The Tri-City Storm (30-13-6) scored three goals in the first period and held off a late comeback by the Fargo Force (20-22-6) to win 3-2 at Scheels Arena on Friday night.

Storm goals were scored by Dan Labosky, Jake Wahlin and Chris Wilkie, while goaltender Jared Rutledge made 22 saves in the victory.

Wilkie’s tally was his 29th of the season, making him the USHL league leader through 49 games.

Labosky gave Tri-City the lead with his fourth goal of the year at 11:37 of the opening period and the Storm held that advantage for the remainder of the night.

Defenseman Bobby Nardella started the play in the offensive zone, moving the puck down low to forward Cody Milan. Milan then moved it across the crease to Labosky, who was open for the finish to make it 1-0.

Three minutes later, Jake Wahlin made it 2-0 Tri-City, scoring his 10th of the season on a rebound in front off a shot by Chase Berger. Defenseman Tory Dello picked up the second assist on the tally.

Wilkie’s goal came less than a minute after Wahlin’s, on a pass from Christopher Brown to put the Storm in front 3-0.

Brown now has three assists in his first four games with Tri-City. Defenseman Kevin Kerr was credited with the second assist on the goal.

After a scoreless second period, the Storm remained in control of the game until Fargo forward CJ Hayes got his team on the board with a goal at 9:21of the third.

Then Denis Smirnov scored his third goal of the weekend on the power play at 14:35, bringing the Force’s deficit to just one goal at 3-2.

But the Storm were able to hold off the late rush by Fargo, and secured two points in the standings.

Mathias Israelsson suffered the loss for the Force, making 31 saves in defeat.

Tri-City is still in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 66 points, three back of Sioux City for the top spot in the west.

The Storm are back in action on Tuesday night in Lincoln, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Kyle Eastman, Mason Appleton and Joel Herbert…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Dan Labosky (Cody Milan, Bobby Nardella) 11:37
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Chase Berger, Tory Dello) 14:41
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Christopher Brown, Kevin Kerr) 15:01

2nd Period

(no scoring)

 

3rd Period
Fargo – CJ Hayes (Justin Beaudry) 9:21
Fargo – Denis Smirnov (power play) (Alec Marsh, Justin Beaudry) 14:35

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Roughing), 2 min, 6:03
Fargo – Tim Faulkner – (Roughing), 2 min, 6:03

2nd Period
Fargo – Chuck Bennis – (Elbowing), 2 min, 0:33
Tri-City – Nick Master – (High Sticking), 2 min, 10:45
Tri-City – Wade Allison – (Tripping), 2 min, 14:53

3rd Period
Tri-City – Wade Allison – (Tripping), 2 min, 14:05

Power Play

Tri-City – 0/1

Fargo – 1/3

Shots

Tri-City: 18, 7, 9 = Total: 34
Fargo: 8, 10, 6 = Total: 24

Saves
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 22/24
Fargo – Mathias Israelsson – 31/34

FARGO, N.D. – The Fargo Force (20-21-6) got a third period goal from forward Zach Yon and defeated the Tri-City Storm (29-13-6) by a final score of 4-3 at Scheels Arena on Thursday night.

Storm goals were scored by Garrett Gamez, Vince Pedrie and Chris Wilkie in the loss, while forward Mason Appleton had two assists.

Force forward Denis Smirnov came out of the gate quickly for Fargo and scored on each of his first two shifts, giving the Force a 2-0 lead just 2:37into the game.

After the two quick goals, Storm head coach Jim Hulton elected to pull starting netminder Jared Rutledge from the game in favor of Alec Dillon.

Dillon remained in the net for the remainder of the contest, making 15 saves.

Tri-City got on the board and cut Fargo’s deficit on a power play goal by Gamez at 8:01 of the opening period.

With Appleton coming out of the penalty box after serving time for a hooking penalty, Nick Master completed a pass with the Michigan State commit to start a rush into Fargo’s zone. Appleton then centered the puck to Gamez, who was alone in front of the Force’s net. The Chino Hills, Calif. native made a move to his backhand and scored his 13th goal of the season to make it 2-1.

With the goal, Gamez extended his point-scoring streak to eight games.

Later in the first, Fargo went back up by two on a goal by Brody Stevens at 13:04.

But Pedrie scored his 11th of the season and second with the Storm to cut the lead back to 3-2 before the end of the first period. Assists on the goal were credited to Kevin Kerr and Conner Valesano.

In the middle frame, Tri-City found the equalizer on Wilkie’s 14th power play goal of the season. Also the forward’s league leading 28th goal, Wilkie was set up by Appleton while coming into the offensive zone on a power play rush. The Omaha native ripped a wrist shot glove side that got over the Fargo goaltender Mathias Israelsson.

With the game tied in the third period, Yon’s winning goal was all Fargo needed to secure the win.

Tri-City had chances to tie the game late, and Hulton pulled Dillon in favor of an extra attacker, but it wasn’t enough.

Israelsson earned the win, making 26 saves for the Force.

Tri-City is still in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 64 points, three back of Sioux City for the top spot in the west.

The two teams will finish their weekend series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel and Joel Herbert, along with defenseman Jason Krych…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Fargo – Denis Smirnov (TJ Roo, Alec Marsh) 0:30
Fargo – Denis Smirnov (Alec Marsh) 2:37
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez (power play) (Mason Appleton, Nick Master)
Fargo – Brody Stevens (Jack Jenkins) 13:04
Tri-City – Vince Pedrie (Conner Valesano, Kevin Kerr) 14:17

2nd Period

Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (power play) (Mason Appleton, Bobby Nardella) 8:14

 

3rd Period
Fargo – Zach Yon (Jack Jenkins) 7:49

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Mason Appleton – (Hooking), 2 min, 5:53
Fargo – Shane McMahan – (Tripping), 2 min, 7:27
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Interference), 2 min, 14:43

2nd Period
Fargo – Justin Baudry – (Interference), 2 min, 7:49
Fargo – Justin Baudry – (Fighting), 5 min, 10:51
Fargo – Justin Baudry – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 10:51
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Fighting), 5 min, 10:51
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 10:51
Fargo – Brody Stevens – (Interference), 2 min, 12:36
Fargo – Sean Mostrom – (Roughing), 2 min, 18:27

3rd Period
(no penalties)

Power Play

Tri-City – 2/4

Fargo – 0/2

Shots

Tri-City: 5, 12, 12 = Total: 29
Fargo: 9, 3, 8 = Total: 20

Saves
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 1/3, Alec Dillon – 15/17
Fargo – Mathias Israelsson – 26/29

KEARNEY, Neb. – Cody Milan scored twice and the Tri-City Storm (29-12-6) defeated the Sioux City Musketeers (31-13-5) 5-1 at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night to earn a sweep of the weekend and take the six-game regular season series between the top teams in the Western Conference, four games to two.

Also scoring in the victory for Tri-City was Matthew Freytag, Nick Master and Conner Valesano, while goaltender Jared Rutledge earned his third win of the season over Sioux City, making 29 saves.

After a scoreless first period, the Storm took the lead at 11:54 of the second on Freytag’s 14th goal of the season. Tri-City captain Garrett Gamez found the Wisconsin commit in front of the Sioux City net and the forward was able to control a bouncing puck and bat it into the far side of the net to make it 1-0.

Less than three minutes later, Milan made it 2-0 with his first strike of the night. Defenseman Mattias Goransson got the puck to the front of the Musketeer net where it hit Dan Labosky’s stick and went right to Milan, who backhanded it home for the 2-0 lead.

Goransson was credited with the second assist on both of the Storm’s second period goals and Tri-City went into the second intermission ahead by two.

A penalty to Sioux City’s Sebastian Repo that came five seconds into the final period put the Storm on the power play and Nick Master capitalized, scoring his 20th goal of the season.

Master has now scored in five consecutive Tri-City home games, and has goals in seven of the last eight played at the Viaero Event Center. Assists on the tally were credited to both Christopher Brown and Bobby Nardella.

The Storm held their 3-0 lead until the final minutes, when Musketeer forward Sam Kurker scored with an extra attacker to get Sioux City on the board.

Rutledge’s shutout bid ended with less than a minute and a half to go in the contest before empty net goals by both Milan and Valesano for Tri-City.

The Storm outshot Sioux City 38-30 in the contest, as Musketeers’ netminder Collin Olson made 33 saves while suffering the loss.

Tri-City is still in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 64 points, but the Storm gained three points on Sioux City in the weekend series and is three points back of the top spot in the west.

The Storm will now travel to Fargo for their first meetings with the Force this season. The first meeting is Thursday night, with the series concluding on Friday. Both games will start at 7:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel and Kyle Eastman, along with defenseman Jason Krych…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Matthew Freytag (Garrett Gamez, Mattias Goransson) 11:54
Tri-City – Cody Milan (Dan Labosky, Mattias Goransson) 14:31

 

3rd Period
Tri-City – Nick Master (power play) (Christopher Brown, Bobby Nardella) 1:00
Sioux City – Sam Kurker (power play) (extra attacker) (Anthony Walsh, Ryan Zuhlsdorf) 18:35
Tri-City – Cody Milan (empty net) (unassisted) 18:51
Tri-City – Conner Valesano (empty net) (Wade Allison, Jalen Schulz) 19:33

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Tri-City – Vince Pedrie – (High Sticking), 2 min, 4:06

2nd Period
Sioux City – Jake Durflinger – (Fighting), 5 min, 3:21
Sioux City – Jake Durflinger – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 3:21
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting), 5 min, 3:21
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 3:21
Sioux City – Anthony Walsh – (Holding), 2 min, 3:21

3rd Period
Sioux City – Sebastian Repo – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 0:05
Sioux City – Sebastian Repo – (Roughing), 2 min, 11:48
Tri-City – Mason Appleton – (Roughing), 2 min, 11:48
Sioux City – Adam Johnson – (Interference), 2 min, 13:15
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 17:12
Sioux City – Alex Rodriguez – (Spearing), 5 min, 20:00
Sioux City – Alex Rodriguez – (Spearing) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 20:00

Power Play

Sioux City – 1/2

Tri-City – 1/3

Shots

Sioux City: 11, 5, 14 = Total: 30
Tri-City: 13, 16, 9 = Total: 38

Saves
Sioux City – Collin Olson – 33/36
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 29/30

KEARNEY, Neb. – Nick Master scored both the tying goal with under three minutes to go in the third period and the game-winner in overtime as the Tri-City Storm (28-12-6) defeated the Sioux City Musketeers (31-12-5) 4-3 on Friday night at the Viaero Event Center.

In addition to Master’s two tallies, Tri-City got goals from both Mason Appleton and Chris Wilkie, while Bobby Nardella registered three assists.

Robert Carpenter scored just 3:40 into the game for Sioux City to give the Musketeers a 1-0 lead early on in the opening period.

But Tri-City evened the game at 1-1 late in the frame when Appleton scored his 10th of the season, with assists from Alec Dillon and Nardella. For Dillon, the helper was his first of the season.

Sioux City re-took the lead in the middle frame on Adam Johnson’s 27th goal of the season, and had a 2-1 advantage with the game headed to the third period.

Just 1:04 into the final stanza, Wilkie scored his 27th of the year, to tie the game and bring new life to Tri-City. The Omaha native’s tally tied him with both Carpenter, Johnson and Waterloo’s Brock Boeser for the USHL goal scoring lead.

Assists on the tally went to Jake Wahlin and Christopher Brown. For Brown, it was his first Storm point in his first game after being acquired from Green Bay in a trade Monday.

Once again, the Musketeers went ahead on a goal by defenseman Ryan Zuhlsdorf, and had another one-goal edge at 3-2 less than halfway through the third.

As the minutes ticked down, the Storm continued to get chances. For the third time, Tri-City tied the game on Master’s 18th goal of the season at 17:12of the third. Assists on the goal were credited to Nardella and forward Matthew Freytag.

The late equalizer sent the game into overtime. In the extra session, Storm captain Garrett Gamez earned a shot on net off a rush that created a rebound in front. The loose puck hit Master and bounced in, winning the game for Tri-City. Nardella had the second assist on the goal, springing Gamez free for the rush.

The Storm outshot Sioux City 46-25 in the contest, including a 19-10 edge in the opening period and 14-6 in the middle frame.

Netminder Alec Dillon picked up the win, making 22 saves. Collin Olson suffered the loss in between the pipes for Sioux City, stopping 42 shots.

Tri-City is still in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 62 points, however they are now five points behind the Musketeers.

The teams will complete their six-game season series tomorrow night at the Viaero Event Center at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Wade Allison and Kyle Eastman, along with defenseman Jason Krych…

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

1st Period
Sioux City – Robert Carpenter (Neal Pionk) 3:40
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (Alec Dillon, Bobby Nardella) 17:05

2nd Period

Sioux City – Adam Johnson (Alex Rodriguez, Neal Pionk) 3:11

 

3rd Period
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Jake Wahlin, Christopher Brown) 1:04
Sioux City – Ryan Zuhlsdorf (Ryan Walker, Adam Johnson) 9:11
Tri-City – Nick Master (Bobby Nardella, Matthew Freytag) 17:12

Overtime
Tri-City – Nick Master (Garrett Gamez, Bobby Nardella) 0:52

PENALTIES

 

1st Period
Sioux City – Anthony Walsh – (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 3:24
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Elbowing), 2 min, 3:24
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 4:50
Sioux City – Alexandre Payusov – (Holding), 2 min, 7:50
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 18:57
Sioux City – Jake Durflinger – (Roughing), 2 min, 18:57

2nd Period
Tri-City – Kevin Kerr – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 10:19

3rd Period
Sioux City – Anthony Walsh – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 6:20

Overtime
(no penalties)

Power Play

Sioux City – 0/2

Tri-City – 0/2

Shots

Sioux City: 10, 6, 9, 0 = Total: 25
Tri-City: City: 19, 14, 11, 2 = Total: 46

Saves
Sioux City – Collin Olson – 42/46
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 22/25

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm’s ‘Pack It In Purple’ jersey auction raised $18,000 for the United Way of the Kearney area through the sale of 25 game-worn sweaters at the Viaero Event Center on Saturday night.

Saturday’s game was attended by 3,385 fans as the Storm defeated the Lincoln Stars, 3-1.

The United Way has partnered with Tri-City and hosted the jersey auction for all 15 seasons of Storm hockey. This year’s event pushed the all-time total money raised to more than $218,000.

Dan Labosky’s No. 24 jersey topped the list, going for $2,500, while Chris Wilkie’s sweater was second at $1,500.

The mission of United Way in the Tri-Cities is to build a stronger community by uniting people who care with people who need. The organization serves six counties including Buffalo, Kearny, Franklin, Harlan, Phelps and Custer.

Through the services of its partner agencies, the United Way helps people faced with financial crisis, domestic abuse and disasters. It also helps area families find support for helping children and youth succeed, supporting the aging population and helping people with special needs.

The Storm host Western Conference leading Sioux City in Kearney for a two-game series this weekend. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s gets underway at 7:05.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.