Fargo Force

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Fargo Force
200px
City Fargo, North Dakota
League United States Hockey League
Division West
Founded 2008
Home arena Scheels Arena
Colors Black, Blue, White               
Owner(s) Ace Brandt
General manager Cary Eades (2015-16)
Head coach Cary Eades (2015-16)
Franchise history
2008–present Fargo Force

The Fargo Force[1][2] is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Coaches

  • Assistant Coach: Byron Pool

History

In early 2007, Fargo was granted a USHL team, intended as an anchor tenant for the then-under-construction Urban Plains Center, which is now called Scheels Arena. Dean Blais, former coach of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey program, was installed as the franchise's initial coach and general manager. The team was formed, in conjunction with a name-the-team contest to decide what the team would be called. After the choices were narrowed to Fargo Force, Fargo Phantoms, and Fargo Fire, the Force name was chosen. Twelve people submitted the Force name; as a result, they won a dinner with head coach Dean Blais and each received two season tickets to the Force's inaugural season.[3]

As a result of the Force's entry, the area's previous hockey team, the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the North American Hockey League announced they were leaving the area in April 2008,[4] and folded later that year.[5]

Blais coached the team to the USHL's Clark Cup Finals in 2008-09, leaving to take the head coaching position at Nebraska-Omaha. His successor, Chad Johnson, a former assistant, again led the Force to the Finals in 2009-10. Assistant Jason Herter took over the team in 2010 when Johnson left to join the Lincoln Stars. Jason Herter left after the 2010-11 season to become an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. John Marks became head coach after leaving the same position for the Winkler Flyers in Manitoba, Canada.

Marks retired following the 2014-15 season and was replaced by former University of North Dakota player/assistant coach Cary Eades, who had just led the Sioux Falls Stampede to the 2014-15 Clark Cup Championship.

Season-by-season record starting 2008

United States Hockey League

Season GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PIM Finish
2008-09 60 32 23 5 69 191 166 1135 3rd Western Conference(1)
2009-10 60 37 17 6 80 227 214 1474 2nd Western Conference(2)
2010-11 60 33 22 5 71 173 151 1201 4th Western Conference(3)
2011-12 60 31 23 6 68 188 160 1007 4th Western Conference(4)
2012-13 64 38 19 7 83 201 187 981 2nd Western Conference(5)
2013-14 60 14 39 7 35 122 229 1275 8th Western Conference(6)
2014-15 60 26 28 6 58 148 191 933 6th Western Conference(7)

(1)The Force qualified for the USHL playoffs as the conference's third seed and defeated the Omaha Lancers 3-1 in a best-of-five series in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This advanced Fargo to the Western Conference Finals, where the Force defeated the Lincoln Stars 3-0 in the best-of-five series. The Force then were defeated in the Clark Cup Finals by the Indiana Ice, 3-1.

(2)The Force qualified for the USHL playoffs as the conference's second seed and defeated the Sioux Falls Stampede 3-0 in a best-of-five series in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This advanced Fargo to the Western Conference Finals, where the Force defeated Omaha 3-2 in the best-of-five series. The Force then were defeated in the Clark Cup Finals by the Green Bay Gamblers, 3-2.

(3)As the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the Force qualified for the USHL playoffs and defeated the Lincoln Stars 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the qualifying round of the Western Conference playoffs. Fargo went to the quarterfinals where they were subsequently swept by the eventual USHL champions, the Dubuque Fighting Saints, in a best-of-five series.

(4)The Force qualified for the USHL playoffs as the conference's fourth seed and defeated the Sioux City Musketeers 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the qualifying round of the Western Conference playoffs. Fargo went to the quarterfinals where they met, and were defeated by, the Lincoln Stars in a best-of-five series 3-1.

(5)The Force enjoyed a very successful season which saw them entering the USHL playoffs as the number 2 seed from the Western Conference. Fargo met the Waterloo Black Hawks in the first round of the playoffs and escaped with a 3-2, best-of-five series win. In the semifinals, the Force ran into the number 1 ranked Sioux Falls Stampede, but were able to dispatch them in a best-of-five series 3-2. The Force made it back to the Clark Cup Finals for the 3rd time in their short history, looking to reverse their fortune of several failed Clark Cup appearances. Unfortunately, Fargo's season would not end in a championship. The Force were eventually swept by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in a best-of-five series.

(6)The Force failed to qualify for any post season action. (7)The Force failed to qualify for any post season action.

Roster

As of January 9, 2016.[6]

# S/P/C Player Pos Ht Wt DoB Hometown Previous team College commitment
2 Michigan Evan Bell D 6' 0" 191 lb 1997-06-25 Livonia, Michigan Rio Grande Valley (NAHL) None
3 Michigan Carson Musser D 6' 2" 195 lb 1997-04-21 Grand Rapids, Michigan Michigan Nationals U18 (Midget AAA) Bowling Green
5 Missouri Bradley Johnson D 5' 10" 167 lb 1996-01-23 Chesterfield, Missouri Omaha (USHL) Ohio State
6 Colorado Griffin Foulk D 6' 1" 197 lb 1995-04-20 Broomfield, Colorado Swift Current (WHL) None
8 Minnesota Blake Lizotte F 5' 9" 152 lb 1997-12-13 Lindstrom, Minnesota Minot (NAHL) St. Cloud State
10 Colorado Shane McMahan F 6' 1" 211 lb 1996-07-30 Lakewood, Colorado Los Angeles Jr. Kings U18 (Midget AAA) None
11 Ontario Brad Belisle F 6' 2" 194 lb 1998-01-26 Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay (SIJHL) Bemidji State
12 Ohio Austin Pooley F 6' 2" 199 lb 1996-07-31 Dublin, Ohio Omaha (USHL) Ohio State
13 Texas Hank Crone F 5' 8" 160 lb 1998-02-19 Cedar Hill, Texas Omaha (USHL) Boston University
14 Florida Cole Gallant F 5' 10" 175 lb 1998-03-14 Dover, Florida HoneyBaked U18 (Midget AAA) None
15 Massachusetts Jack Adams F 6' 5" 197 lb 1997-02-05 Boxford, Massachusetts Malden Catholic High School (USHS–MA) Princeton
17 Russia Denis Smirnov F 5' 10" 185 lb 1997-08-12 Moscow, Russia Indiana (USHL) Penn State
18 Minnesota Zach Yon F 6' 1" 190 lb 1995-12-30 Roseau, Minnesota Bismarck (NAHL) North Dakota
19 Minnesota Nolan Schaeffer D 6' 4" 215 lb 1997-07-15 Marshall, Minnesota Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) None
20 Sweden Hugo Reinhardt F 5' 11" 189 lb 1996-04-06 Kungsbacka, Sweden Frölunda HC J20 (J20 SuperElit) None
21 Saskatchewan Jarod Hilderman D 6' 2" 207 lb 1997-04-11 Kamsack, Saskatchewan Penticton (BCHL) Minnesota–Duluth
22 Washington (state) Chris Jones D 6' 0" 188 lb 1996-08-28 Seattle, Washington Green Bay (USHL) None
23 Ohio Grant Meyer F 5' 8" 183 lb 1996-03-21 Curtice, Ohio Youngstown (USHL) None
24 Finland Jere Astren D 6' 1" 175 lb 1995-05-28 Helsinki, Finland Chicago (USHL) Wisconsin
27 Illinois Jake McLaughlin D 6' 2" 180 lb 1996-03-26 Hinsdale, Illinois Sioux City (USHL) St. Lawrence
28 Ohio Charlie Gerard F 5' 9" 184 lb 1995-11-19 Rocky River, Ohio Madison (USHL) Minnesota State
30 Wisconsin Ryan Wischow G 6' 0" 195 lb 1996-07-12 Green Bay, Wisconsin Michigan (NAHL) St. Lawrence
31 Michigan Robbie Beydoun G 6' 0" 183 lb 1996-10-01 Plymouth, Michigan Michigan (NAHL) None

References

  1. ↑ http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view%26id=D8S7TI7O0
  2. ↑ Account | INFORUM | Fargo, North Dakota - Moorhead, Minnesota
  3. ↑ Fargo Force : About
  4. ↑ Archive_order | INFORUM | Fargo, North Dakota - Moorhead, Minnesota[dead link]
  5. ↑ Fargo-Moorhead ceases operations
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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