Fargo Force looking strong early in the season
FARGO, N.D. (BVM) — The Fargo Force entered the USHL season hot, winning nine games right away.
“A big part of it was we had a really strong veteran group and a competitive group. … I think it was a big part of our success early on,” Force head coach Pierre Lamoureux said.
However, that streak ended with three straight losses in the middle of December. According to Lamoureux, injuries and a slow start from the Force played a role in the string of defeats. He also made it clear that in the USHL, that is just what happens if you do not enter the rink prepared.
“That’s just a sign of competitiveness. In the USHL, there are no pushovers,” Lamoureux said.
Since those three games, Fargo has righted the ship, starting with a big 6-3 win on New Year’ s Eve against the Sioux Falls Stampede.
Even with the mid-December speed bump, the Fargo Force are once again one of the top teams in the USHL. They lead the Western Conference and are right up there with the Chicago Steel in the running for the Anderson Cup.
“We have a real competitive, edgy group and it’s a group that doesn’t like to lose,” Lamoureux said.
It’s also a group that is built from a strong core of veterans mixed with some very talented rookies. The depth that comes from that has also given the Force the edge in many of their games so far this season. They have regularly been getting goals from each line.
They have also gotten a lot of help from their two goalies, Brennan Boyton and Andrew Miller. Both having winning records on the season with Boyton leading the league with nine wins and the second best goals against average (GAA).
“We have had a few solid drafts the last couple of years and we’ve been able to keep a real competitive lineup year in and year out,” Lamoureux said.
Only three years removed from their Clark Cup win in 2018, the Force have been working hard to get back to the championship. Last year, the team was riding a seven-game win streak when COVID-19 forced the season to end early.
“We were really starting to come together,” Lamoureux said. “There was no real closure for us and I think that was the challenging part.”
The Force ended the season second in the Western Conference with the momentum needed to make a playoff push. However, that was last year, and although many of the players on the Force remember what happened, they are focused on this season, making the most of the opportunity they know not everyone has this year.
Since preseason began in September, the Force has been grateful for the opportunity and the ability to represent Fargo once again.
“We love the responsibility that comes with playing in Fargo,” Lamoureux said. “Fargo is a hockey town.”
The North Dakota city loves the Force and the Force has always appreciated their support. Even in a season where fan attendance was originally limited to 1,000 and recently raised to 2,500, it has been appreciated every time they play at Scheels Arena.
Considering the Force finished second in the USHL last year in total attendance and had four straight home sellouts before the season was cut short, the home crowd will be important for the rest of the season.
There is still more than half of the season left, but the Force are looking good early. More than anything, they are just happy to be out on the ice playing the sport they love in front of the people that love to watch them.
“Be grateful for the opportunity that you have,” Lamoureux said.
