Sioux Falls, S.D. – The Sioux Falls Stampede ended their five-game win streak with a 3-1 loss to the Tri-City Storm. Joe McGraw earned the team's only goal of the night, while goaltender Linards Feldbergs came up with a 15-save performance.
A slow first-period start set the tone for the rest of the game for the Herd. Tri-City netted the first goal at 4:01 of the first period. Carson Pilgrim scored the goal over Feldbergs' glove side after being left alone out front. Sioux Falls saw a couple of good chances in the first period, outshooting the Storm 14-9, but failed to find the back of the net.
The Stampede saw a few more notable chances in the second period but could not connect for anything solid. At 9:53, Joe McGraw sniped one, but the Tri-City goaltender easily scooped it up. At 12:13, Thomas Holtby was called for the first penalty of the night for elbowing. The Herd easily killed the penalty, and Cooper Soller even saw a solid shorthanded shot. Nothing was able to find the back of the net for the Herd, though.
As the Herd looked to finally get on the board, it was the Storm who netted another one. Just 11 seconds into the final frame, Tri-City's Brecken Smith gave the Storm a 2-0 lead after a giveaway in the defensive zone left him wide open. The Stampede drew their first penalty of the game at 3:29 when Thomas Zocco took a stick up high. Cooper Ernewein was called on the double minor. With 19 seconds remaining on the power play, the Stampede drew another high stick. The group was unable to convert on the 5-on-3 and was unable to find the back of the net on the remaining 5-on-4 power play. Sioux Falls' time finally came at 11:44 with a tip-in by Joe McGraw. JJ Monteiro earned an assist on the play with a shot from the left faceoff dot that McGraw tipped past the goaltender. Thomas Zocco picked up his sixth assist of the year on the play. With the Stampede failing to tie it up at 17:16, goaltender Linards Feldbergs headed to the bench. The Herd saw a couple of chances with the 6-on-5 advantage but again could not find the back of the net. Tri-City sealed its win with an empty-net goal at 19:26. Sioux Falls appeared to get within one goal of the Storm with a Noah Mannausau goal at 19:51, but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference. Coach Cruthers did challenge the play, but the call on the ice was upheld. The Stampede's win streak came to an end with a 3-1 loss to the Storm.
Goaltender Linards Feldbergs made 15 saves and moved to 6-2-1-0 on the season. He now holds a .910 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average.
The Stampede will now hit the road for a month. Next weekend, they travel to take on the Fargo Force for the first time this season.
They return to the PREMIER Center on November 26 for their first annual Corgi Races presented by Tito's Vodka. Stay tuned for more information on the historic night in the coming days.
