Game played on 12/07/2024.
General Game Notes: Lincoln was able to make this game close with early third period goal to put themselves within in one going into the stretch. Fargo scored minutes later and then went on to kill two late penalties holding on to the two goal lead. Puck management was the key late in the game and the Force made smart plays in dangerous areas to help keep the puck out of their net.
Drew Mackie (D, L, 6’0″, 190, Fargo Force, 06/17/2005, Notre Dame)
Grade: B
Comments: While Mackies backwards skating is not anything special, he does a good job of maintaining his gap regardless of the speed the attacking player is coming towards him at with. He times his pivots very well to not allow puck carriers to get by him. There were a lot of times where he was in transition and let the attacker come at him so he can step up and shut it down. He does a very good job of picking his spots to be physical. He is not the biggest defender but gets his body in the way. His shot from the point could use some work. He does not get his shot through all that often and it is not particularly powerful, so there is some work to be done for sure. He tends to panic with time and space at the blue and ends up throwing pucks back down into the corner for a possible cycle. He does a lot of things fine rather than some exceptional.
Colemen Bumgarner (LW, L, 6’0″, 200, Fargo Force, 04/25/2008, North Dakota)
Grade: B-
Comments: Bumgarner was just in the right place at the right time for his goal tongiht. After the goalie decided to go tape to tape to the wrong team, Bumgarner was that player for the other team. The skilled part of his goal was that he was basically on the goal line for his shot, it was a wide open net, but none the less, a skilled play to understand the goalie was out and just to whip something on net that fortunately went in for the tying goal at that point in the game. Bumgarner was able to show tonight that his feet are constantly flying through the neutral zone looking to do damage, his skates are churning with and without the puck that keep a type of pace that can be hard to match.
Luke Schelter (LW, R, 6’2″, 196, Fargo Force, 04/06/2004)
Grade: B
Comments: Schelter scored a nice goal stopping up in the slot, providing a space to be a threat at the goalie. A four on four goal so there was obviously more space on the ice but he did a good job at recognizing the switch off and the spot to be a shooter. He beat the goalie clean with a catch a release shot that did not need stick handling, in fact, if he did, he either would have been blown up or the goalie would have been able to get square to his shot. Shelter is a big man that controls space and can push smaller defensemen around to control that space. He did a good job at inviting players to his area, drawing them in, using his size to ward off their attempts to create a turnover, and find an open man because of that.
Peter Cisar (LW, L, 6’0″, 183, Fargo Force, 03/30/2005, Maine)
Grade: B+
Comments: Seems like there is not a game where Cisar does not provide a ton of offense for the Force. With three assists on the night tonight, he was able to showcase his distribution skills and be a threat in a lot of different facets of the game. His game revolves around his offense but his defense can be noticeable also. He was able to show tonight on some occasions that he is a puck hound defensively and moves well in the defensive cycle. He has a good sense of angles and in accompany, uses his speed and stick to shut off passing lanes, under-cut attackers on their inside shoulder and force play away from dangerous areas. Positioning is not a problem because his head is constantly on the move.
Ryan Zaremba (C, L, 5’9″, 180, Fargo Force, 03/30/2006, Minnesota State)
Grade: B+
Comments: Zaremba scored a power play goal tonight with a great individual effort. After continuous puck movement, Zaremba decided to take matters into his own hands with a lap around zone causing switch off after switch off. Finally after a defender breakdown, he had a lane to the net and fired that created a rebound that he collected himself to bury home a wide open net. He does this five on five as well, in a play where he was able to show his deception combined with footwork, he skated away from a defender, used his crossovers to gain speed, then stopped his movement to force an opponent to block a fake shot, right then he was able to pass to an uncovered teammate. Zaremba can extend possession with his ability to skate and evade defenders.
Pavel Prusek (D, L, 5’10”, 172, Fargo Force, 02/06/2006)
Grade: A-
Comments: Prusek scored a great goal diving into the offensive zone with possession and picking the corner over the goalies shoulder for an absoluite snipe. After a breakdown in the defense, there was a gap that Prusek that was able to take advatange of and that was exactly what he did. He showed his footwork and mobility to get off the line and down into the zone quickly, challenging the goaltender from closer that I am sure he had hoped. He pushes the pace and sets the tempo of the shift when he has the puck by way of a fluid transition and attacking spaces. On the power play he was able to show that he really is a puck handler first, distributor second but he is just so clean with his decisions that these dynamic aspects about his game go hand in hand.
Ethan Weber (D, R, 6’0″, 187, Lincoln Stars, 12/10/2006, Penn State)
Grade: B-
Comments: Weber has a sound game where he does not provide a ton of offense and plays hard in his own zone. Picked up an assist tonight just keeping his game simple and getting a puck to the net that bounced the right way where his teammate was able to capitalize on a fortuitous bounce. A play of his that did not go as well was when he blindly threw the puck right into the slot and got lucky the opponent fanned on the shot he teed up. While there was a player jockeying for the puck with him, he still could have taken a stride or two to give himself enough time to look up and assess the situation. This type of urgency is only found sometimes in his game, rather than every time he touches the puck.
Alex Pelletier (LW, L, 5’10”, 189, Lincoln Stars, 06/01/2005, Cornell)
Grade: B
Comments: Scored a goal tonight off his face getting to the front of the net and willing to sit there regardless of where the puck was heading, clearly. Gritty goal not doubt but it was his route from the corner to the front of the net that made his goal possible. He played with this grit in all three zones of the ice. He can also stop on a dime and also has a clean curl where he showed on entries when he would attack with speed then cut up and find late waves coming into the zone. One thing about his game that is obvious is he is able to deke his way in and around defenders, has great touch on his passes and has very purposeful direct movements when utilizing his stick.
Giovanni Digiulian (C, R, 5’11”, 180, Lincoln Stars, 09/25/2005, Cornell)
Grade: B
Comments: One aspect about DiGiulians game that was quickly relevant was his shot, he has a really nice extension which creates a lot of zing upon release, pivotal for someone of a lighter stature. He boasts good accuracy too, his ability to shoot in stride with weight catches a lot of goalies and defenders off guard. In close, he gets shots off quickly and can elevate the puck with little time or space, forehand or backhand. He does a good job at protecting the puck in tight and being able to extend possessions in order to find the next option for him to pass.
Lefty Markonidis (LW, L, 5’10”, 195, Lincoln Stars, 04/29/2005)
Grade: B+
Comments: With two goals on the night tonight, Markonidis was a key to the Stars offense. Under two minutes into the game, Markonidis let a one timer go just inside the blue line. This shot was unpredictable in a sense that the goalie did not think he would shoot from that distance and the fact he was able to get it off as quick as he did. Something that is quickly noticeable is that Markonidis glides over the ice with ease and does not require much space out there as he has great twos step separation and deft edge work that allow him to navigate quickly in small spaces making it harder for larger defenseman to defend him.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images