Mason West's Shootout Goal Lifts Force Over Tri-City 3-2

Fargo Force secure 2-seed in Western Conference Playoffs with regular season finale victory

Apr. 5, 2026 at 5:27am

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In the final regular season game before the Clark Cup Playoffs, the Fargo Force defeated the Tri-City Storm 3-2 in a shootout thriller at Scheels Arena. Fargo jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period, but Tri-City battled back to tie the game in the third. After a scoreless overtime, the game went to a shootout where Mason West's goal in the fourth round sealed the victory for the Force.

Why it matters

The win locks the Force into the 2-seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, setting them up for a potential matchup against Sioux City, Des Moines, or Lincoln in the Conference Semifinals. Meanwhile, Tri-City's two losses on the weekend, combined with Des Moines' victories, dropped the Storm to the 6-seed and a first-round date with Sioux City.

The details

Fargo opened the scoring with a power-play goal from Zac Zimmerman in the second period, followed by a tally from Cullen McCrate to make it 2-0. But Tri-City responded late in the second with a goal from Braydon Sisco, and Mason Jenson tied it at 2-2 in the third. After a scoreless overtime, the game went to a shootout where Axel Lofgren kept Fargo alive in the third round. Goaltender Ajay White then made a big save to set up Mason West's game-winning goal in the fourth round.

  • Zac Zimmerman scored his 5th goal of the season at the 15:58 mark of the 2nd period.
  • Cullen McCrate netted his 10th goal of the year at the 19:04 mark of the 2nd period.
  • Braydon Sisco scored his first goal of the season at the 19:30 mark of the 2nd period.
  • Mason Jenson tied the game at 3-3 at the 3:31 mark of the 3rd period.
  • The shootout-winning goal by Mason West came in the 4th round.

The players

Fargo Force

The Fargo Force are the junior ice hockey team based in Fargo, North Dakota. They play in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Tri-City Storm

The Tri-City Storm are a junior ice hockey team based in Kearney, Nebraska that plays in the USHL's Western Conference.

Zac Zimmerman

A forward for the Fargo Force who scored the team's first goal on the power play in the second period.

Cullen McCrate

A forward for the Fargo Force who scored the team's second goal in the second period, his 10th of the season.

Braydon Sisco

A forward for the Tri-City Storm who scored his first goal of the season late in the second period to cut Fargo's lead to 2-1.

Mason Jenson

A forward for the Tri-City Storm who scored the game-tying goal in the third period to make it 2-2.

Mason West

The Fargo Force forward who scored the game-winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout.

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What they’re saying

“We knew Tri-City would come out strong after last night's loss, so we're really proud of the way our guys battled and found a way to get the win in the shootout.”

— Fargo Force Head Coach

What’s next

The Fargo Force will now prepare for the Western Conference Semifinals of the Clark Cup Playoffs, which begin on April 18th and 19th at Scheels Arena. Their opponent is still to be determined, as it will depend on the results of the first-round matchups.

The takeaway

The Fargo Force's regular season finale victory not only secured them the 2-seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, but also showcased the team's resilience and ability to win close, hard-fought games - a valuable trait as they look to make a deep postseason run.