PAPILLION, NEBRASKA – As the USHL finals entered Game Five, neither team had won on home ice with Green Bay having won their previous two contests over Fargo. After a four day layoff, the teams took to the ice Wednesday evening in the fifth and final game to decide the 2009-10 USHL champion.
Midway through the first period, Garrett Allen would open the scoring placing the Fargo Force up 1-0 in the opening period. The Force would carry that lead into intermission in what was a fairly even period for both franchises. Fargo and Green Bay would fire 10 shots on net in the first period.
Coming out of the gates to start the second period, Green Bay played a more inspired hockey amass 15 shots on goal while holding Fargo to a mere six in the process. Robert Francis and Ryan Furne would score for Green Bay to give the Gamblers a 2-1 lead only a few minutes into the second period. Fargo netminder Ryan Massa held the Gamblers in place which allowed the Force to tie the game later in the second period. Joe Rehkamp scored for Fargo with less than five minutes remaining in the second to send the game into a two-all tie going into the second intermission.
The fate of both the Fargo Force and the Green Bay Gamblers came down to one period of hockey. Both teams had accomplished so much and both had such respectable seasons to hang their hats upon. Yet in the end, second place is the first loser and no one wanted to lose a championship game. Both teams played a focused game in the third period as neither team took unnecessary chances in the offensive zone. In total there were 13 shots on goal between both teams as they attempted to take the championship by stymieing their opponent’s offensive attack. Fargo scored less than five minutes into the final period to give the Force a 3-2 lead. Not to be overshadowed was Green Bay’s Anders Lee who scored for the Gamblers to tie the game at three goals apiece. Sean Little would score the fourth goal for the Green Bay Gamblers making himself a hero as Green bay would skate on to the victory winning three games straight after being down in the series 2-0.
The Green bay Gamblers won the Clark Cup for the third time in franchises history, their first championship in ten years. The Gamblers won through perseverance and hard work and never once gave up as they skated to the very end of every game no matter what the score was.
You may contact the author at: john.strathman@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.