West Des Moines, Iowa — The Des Moines Buccaneers (23-25-4-4) fell 5-4 to the Fargo Force (35-16-3-2) Friday night at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex. Bucs forward Blake Zielinski posted a hat trick with three goals on the night, but his offensive efforts were not enough to overcome the final deficit. The Bucs and Force return to the RecPlex for another matchup tomorrow, March 21, at 6:05 p.m.
Force forward Kolin Sisson opened the scoring of the match just 54 seconds into the first period, shooting past Nikolaev from the bottom of the left-wing circle to show Fargo ahead 1-0 early. Bucs forward Ryan Seelinger responded, tying the game 1-1 at 1:40 with his wrist-shot from the left-wing circle off a pass from Rhys Wallin. Riley Zupfer notched the secondary assist on Seelinger's 31st goal of the season. Forward Blake Zielinski brought the Bucs ahead 2-1 at 4:57, tipping a rebounded puck past Hrenak for his 22nd goal on the year. Zielinski's go-ahead goal was assisted by Henry Major and Henry Chmiel.
Zielinski netted his second of the night with a breakaway goal 13:52 into the opening frame, assisted by Major and Zupfer, to show a score of 3-1. Force forward Jacob Sagadin brought Fargo back within a goal at 16:04, sending his one-time shot from the slot to the back of the net to bring the score to 3-2.
Forward Mason West evened the score at 3-3 for the Force just 1:27 into the second period. Sagadin restored the Force lead at 7:08, capitalizing on a 2-on-1 opportunity and finding an open back door to show a score of 4-3.
Force forward Luke McNamara tapped the puck into an open back door 4:06 into the final frame to extend the Force lead to 5-3. Zielinski completed his hat trick, deflecting defenseman Keaton Orrey's shot from the blue line at 15:40 to show a final score of 5-4. Ryland Randle also assisted on Zielinski's 24th goal on the season and third on the night.
The Bucs host the Fargo Force for another matchup tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m., featuring $1 hot dogs, Tito's Saturday, and Coors Mug Club 1/2 off beverages, followed by Signature Saturday! Don't miss out on the action! Buy your tickets here.
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About the Buccaneers
Founded in 1980, the Des Moines Buccaneers are a proud member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's premier junior hockey league. The Bucs have a history of success in the USHL, including 4 Clark Cup Championships, 4 Anderson Cup Championships, and 54 alumni drafted to the National Hockey League, including Stanley Cup Champions Kyle Okposo, Alex Chiasson, Trevor Lewis, Davis Drewiske, and Erik Cole. The organization is committed to developing young players on and off the ice, preparing them for a future in collegiate and professional careers. Known for their passionate fan base, the Bucs play their home games at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, a multi-sport complex in West Des Moines, Iowa.
To learn more, visit www.bucshockey.com or follow the Bucs on social media: @bucshockey on X and Instagram, @desmoinesbuccaneers on TikTok, and Des Moines Buccaneers on Facebook. For more information about ticket packages, including season and group outings, please contact (515) 278-2827.
