Fargo Force Stuns Sioux City With Six-Goal Third-Period Surge
Lauri Kouhia scored three times in the final ten minutes to help Fargo overcome a four-goal deficit and secure a 6-4 victory.
By Zoe Harrison ·
Fargo fans who arrived at the arena trailing 4-0 left with a win after the Force outscored Sioux City 6-0 in the final 15 minutes of Saturday's USHL contest. The Musketeers had built a commanding lead in the early stages of the third period, but a sustained offensive push by the visitors erased the gap and flipped the score.
The turnaround began with AJ Francisco, who reduced Sioux City's advantage to 4-1 on a power-play goal at 5:01 in the period. Lauri Kouhia then scored twice in the middle of the period to bring the teams within one goal. Bryce Mattern tied the contest at 16:37, setting up the final surge.
Zac Zimmerman gave Fargo a 5-4 lead with his sixth goal of the season. Kouhia completed his hat trick with an empty-netter 45 seconds before the final horn, securing his 12th goal of the year. This performance ties him with teammate Bryce Mattern for the most goals in the league.
Goalkeeper Sam Hrenak recorded 24 saves for the Force. Fargo now shares the best record in the USHL with Cedar Rapids, sitting at 10 wins and 4 losses with no overtime defeats or regulation losses. Head coach Brett Skinner cited the team's persistence in a game where momentum swung sharply.
"Great effort from the kids to stick with it until the end," Skinner said. "Really proud of their effort." The two teams return to the ice at 5:05 p.m. Sunday for their next matchup.
