Fargo Force

Fargo Force
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	John Marks
Head coach	John Marks
Franchise history
2008–present	Fargo Force

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

Coaches

• Head Coach/General Manager: John Marks.

• 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.

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, and folded later that year.

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 leaving the same position for the Winkler Flyers in Manitoba, Canada.

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

(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.

Roster

As of January 3, 2012.

Forwards
#	St/Pr/Co	Player	Shoots	Height	Weight	Birthday	Hometown	College commitment
12		Nate Arentz		6' 1"	185 lbs.	Jun 29, 1994	Lakeville, Minnesota	None
22		Jonny Brodzinski		6' 0"	195 lbs.	Jun 19, 1993	Ham Lake, Minnesota	St. Cloud State
21		Bryn Chyzyk		5' 11"	181 lbs.	Nov 5, 1992	Virden, Manitoba	North Dakota
24		Blake Clarke	R	6' 2"	197 lbs.	Jan 24, 1996	Wildwood, Missouri	None
14		Stanislav Dzakhov	L	6' 2"	205 lbs.	Mar 16, 1993	Moscow, Russia	None
11		Austin Farley		5' 8"	165 lbs.	Nov 10, 1993	Park Ridge, Illinois	Minnesota–Duluth
8		Gabe Guertler	L	5' 9"	170 lbs.	May 3, 1995	Plantation, Florida	Minnesota
23		Dave Gust		5' 9"	168 lbs.	Feb 21, 1994	Orland Park, Illinois	None
7		Colton Hargrove		6' 2"	212 lbs.	Jun 25, 1992	Rockwall, Texas	Western Michigan
18		Alex Iafallo		5' 11"	165 lbs.	Dec 21, 1993	Eden, New York	Minnesota–Duluth
19		Jordan Nelson	L	6' 0"	180 lbs.	Apr 16, 1992	Williston, North Dakota	None
9		A.J. Reid		5' 9"	185 lbs.	Sep 9, 1992	Lakeville, Minnesota	None
10		Nicholas Stoskopf		6' 1"	190 lbs.	Jul 3, 1992	Warroad, Minnesota	None

Defensemen
#	St/Pr/Co	Player	Shoots	Height	Weight	Birthday	Hometown	College commitment
2		Brian Cooper	L	5' 10"	180 lbs.	Nov 1, 1993	Anchorage, Alaska	Nebraska–Omaha
5		Willie Corrin		6' 2"	180 lbs.	Aug 1, 1991	International Falls, Minnesota	Minnesota–Duluth
20		Taylor Fleming		5' 10"	180 lbs.	Feb 17, 1993	Waconia, Minnesota	None
15		Neal Goff	L	6' 4"	180 lbs.	Sep 15, 1993	Stillwater, Minnesota	None
4		David Mead	L	6' 1"	217 lbs.	Aug 24, 1992	Conklin, New York	None
6		Dominic Racobaldo	L	6' 2"	216 lbs.	Jun 3, 1992	Pennsauken, New Jersey	None
3		Taylor Richart		5' 9"	155 lbs.	Feb 15, 1992	Blaine, Minnesota	None
13		Justin Wade		6' 2"	210 lbs.	Apr 13, 1994	Aurora, Illinois	Notre Dame

Goaltenders
#	St/Pr/Co	Player	Catches	Height	Weight	Birthday	Hometown	College commitment
29		Zane Gothberg	L	6' 2"	190 lbs.	Aug 20, 1992	Thief River Falls, Minnesota	North Dakota
31		Reed Peters		6' 2"	170 lbs.	Mar 29, 1992	Morden, Manitoba	None

External links

• Fargo Force Official Webpage