Sunday, May 3, 2009

ICE even the series up

Press Release

The encore to Game One was equally as exciting as the Indiana Ice evened the best-of-five Clark Cup Finals at one game apiece. After scoring just one the previous night, Indiana erupted for five goals in the victory and ended Fargo's postseason winning streak.

For the second straight evening, the teams went into the first period with any scoring. Both goaltenders continued their solid play until Indiana's Stansilav Galiev began the scoring on a great backhand shot. Fargo immediately answered when just 27 seconds later, Matt Leitner evened the game at 1-1. John Parker then gave Indiana the lead on his second goal of the playoffs. At that point, the two goals for the Ice had come off the sticks of their two youngest players, a pair of 17-year olds.

Indiana broke the game open just over five minutes into the third period when Grant Blakey and Sebastian Geoffrion each scored in a span of nine seconds to make the score 4-2. Andy Taranto answered for Fargo late in the third for his league-leading seventh goal of the playoffs. Fargo had pulled their goaltender in favor of the extra attacker while they were already on the power to give them a 6-on-4 advantage.

Brandon Richardson ended any thoughts of a Fargo comeback when he scored his sixth goal of the playoffs on the power play with just under two minutes to play. Brett Bennett had another solid evening in goal for Indiana making 23 saves. The five goals scored by Indiana were the most given up by Fargo in the postseason.

The series now shifts to Fargo for Game Three on Wednesday.

The USHL is celebrating its 30th season of junior hockey in 2008-09. With nearly 170 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 16 NHL Draft picks that in the league this season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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