Sioux Falls, S.D.- The Herd opened their Round 2 playoff series with a strong 5–2 victory over the Lincoln Stars. Sioux Falls saw offensive production from the blue line, with goals from
Matthew Grimes (2),
Jake Prunty,
Anthony Bongo, and
JJ Monteiro. Between the pipes,
Linards Feldbergs delivered an impressive performance to back the win.
The Herd set the tone early in the first period. At 3:21,
Matthew Grimes got the scoring started after a pass from
Brock Schultz sent him on a breakaway, where he fired a one-timer past Prowse, stick side. Schultz and
Noah Mannausau picked up the assists on the play.
Tensions rose as both teams pushed for momentum. At 13:50, the Stars took a tripping penalty, and
Jake Prunty capitalized on the power play, ripping a one-timer through traffic.
Ryder Betzold and Tobias Ohman were credited with the assists. The Herd carried a 2–0 lead into the second period, outshooting the Stars 11–8.
The second period opened with a more defensive pace, highlighted by strong goaltending on both ends. At 5:23,
Jack Brauti was called for holding, giving the Stars their first power-play opportunity, but the Herd penalty kill stood strong.
Lincoln got on the board at 13:11, cutting the lead to one. However, just over two minutes later at 15:20, Grimes struck again, tallying his second goal of the night by tucking a shot under the crossbar to restore the two-goal advantage.
Jake Stuart recorded the assist. Both teams registered 12 shots in the period.
The Herd sealed the win in the third. After successfully killing off a tripping penalty to
Joe McGraw at 3:14, Sioux Falls extended their lead at 7:46 when
Anthony Bongo buried a wrister from the low slot.
JJ Monteiro and
Thomas Zocco earned assists on the goal.
The Stars responded with a goal at 11:14, but it wasn't enough. Lincoln pulled Prowse at 18:09 in a last effort, but
JJ Monteiro put the game away with an empty-net goal, bringing the final score to 5–2.
Feldbergs was a key factor throughout the game, making timely saves to keep the Stars at bay. He now holds a 2.00 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in the postseason.
The Herd will face the Lincoln Stars again on Sunday for Game 2 of the series. Tickets for Sunday's game are available now.
