'We've been waiting all year for this' – Musketeers begin Clark Cup trek tonight at home against Fargo
Sioux City is set to host Fargo in the first round of the USHL Clark Cup Playoffs, with Game 1 being the ninth meeting between the two teams. The Muskies are 7-0-1 against Fargo this season, with their only loss coming via shootout.
Sioux City has scored three or more goals in every game against Fargo and have kept the Force to three or fewer goals in all but three games.
Despite Sioux City's series dominane in the regular season, the postseason is a different type of beast only the best can conquer.
'It's a great privilege, we're really excited. We're ready to go. We've been waiting all year for this, and this is the time to go, so we're ready,' Musketeers captain Justin Stupka said.
'Our togetherness and our team play is at a high and it's the best it's ever been, so we're just looking to keep that going through the playoffs,' Musketeers defenseman Liam Hupka added.
'We start the season with 16 teams, now there's 12 teams, and in a couple days it's going to be down to 8 teams, so we're fortunate that we're here playing on home ice and we don't take that for granted,' Musketeers head coach Jason Kersner said. 'The opportunity to now be in the postseason hosting Fargo here at home, try to find a way to win two games.'
'Playoffs as a whole are like a whole other season, basically. Teams are trying to do one thing, you're trying to do another thing, so hopefully we can go out there, play our game, and they can adjust to us,' Musketeers forward Giacomo Martino highlighted.
: three goals and six assists in eight regular season meetings against Fargo.
: Averaged 28 saves per game in six appearances against Fargo.
Puck drop for Game 1 is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Willing To Help: D-Man Tyler Kleven Ready To Take Next Step On Both Ends Of Ice For Ottawa
You might not have noticed, which is odd considering the subject in question is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman, but Tyler Kleven was all over the place during the Ottawa Senators' too-short-but-still-inspiring 2025 playoff run. His shot-pass from the point was tipped to tie the score in Game 2, his poised breakout led to another tying goal in Game 3, and his sense to jump up into the play and gain the zone led to the Senators' overtime goal in Game 4. And it should have come as no surprise to anyone who watched Kleven closely during his first full NHL season. The 23-year-old from Fargo, N.D., improved and had more of an impact as the season went on, and it's a trajectory both he and the Senators count on continuing after Kleven signed a two-year deal in June that carries a cap hit of $1.6 million. Considering the fact Kleven played only 53 games in the minors – all of which came in 2023-24 – he hasn't exactly been a slow burn. The Senators have brought him along at a good pace, both at the AHL and NHL levels. But with almost 100 big-league contests and one playoff round now to his credit, Kleven feels at home as a third-pair defenseman with the potential to move up to the second pair down the road. 'I felt like I definitely took some steps this season,' Kleven said. 'In the playoffs, I got to play in different scenarios a little more than I did at the start of the year.' There is a sense Kleven hasn't even come close to reaching his potential as an NHL blueliner yet. As is the case with all young players, he spent most of the season gaining the trust of the coaching staff and making low-risk plays that would not lead to mistakes. But he gained confidence as the season progressed, and that was evident in Game 3 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Senators trailing 2-1, without a single third-period shot and from a defensive-zone faceoff, Kleven gathered up the puck and tried to move it up ice, but the pass was deflected by Max Domi. Kleven then calmly gathered the puck back up and skated a few strides before making a pass that helped set up Brady Tkachuk's tying goal. "With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night." - Tyler Kleven Both the Senators and Kleven are confident he has more in his arsenal. He had almost no ice time on special teams in the regular season or the playoffs, and there's certainly an element to his game that lends itself to him being an effective penalty-killer. Even though he registered a respectable 105 hits this season, his college game suggests he's a much more physically robust player. And while he can shoot it a ton, getting the puck on net has been an issue. He registered 78 shots on goal, but he also took another 75 that were blocked. 'With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night,' Kleven said. 'It just doesn't happen like that. You wait for your moment, and once that moment comes, you take advantage of it. I thought there were times during the season that I showed I was a physical player, and in the playoffs, I was way more physical.' Kleven spent much of the first half of the season playing alongside veteran Travis Hamonic on the third pair, then teamed with Nikolas Matinpalo once the latter was called up just after Christmas. Coincidentally, that was when Kleven's game started to take off. That familiarity helped Kleven, who played much of last season with Matinpalo on the Senators' AHL affiliate in Belleville. With Nick Jensen expected to be out for some of next season after undergoing off-season hip surgery, there might be a chance for Kleven to move up in the lineup, depending on what the Senators do in terms of trades or signings over the summer. One thing working in Kleven's favor is that, even though he shoots left, he's comfortable playing the right side as well. In fact, with the Senators' system, he often ends up there as the play develops. And because he has such a long reach and stick, he's adept at breaking up plays in the defensive zone. 'On the right side, if they ever need someone to help out there, I got more looks toward the end of the season,' Kleven said. 'My last 20 games, I got more looks there. In the offensive zone, I get to use my one-timer more, and I didn't get to use that a ton. It takes a little time to learn, but I certainly don't mind playing the right side.' This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season. You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
How to Watch: Iowa high school baseball tournament
The Iowa high school state baseball tournament completes the 2024-25 sports season in Iowa beginning Monday. Games will be played in two different cities, as Class 1A and 2A are in Carroll while 3A and 4A head to Sioux City. Over the course of the week, teams will be dwindled down until just one remains standing, claiming a state title. MORE: Former Iowa prep selected in 2025 MLB Draft Here is how to watch the Iowa high school state baseball tournament: How to Watch the Iowa high school state baseball tournament Live stream: Watch IHSSN Quarterfinal and semifinal round games stream via Watch IHSSN with a subscription beginning Monday, July 21 and running through Thursday, July 24 Championship games in all four classes will air free of charge via Watch IHSSN Iowa high school state baseball schedule Class 1A Quarterfinals (Monday, July 21) Remsen St. Mary's vs. Hillcrest Academy, 11 a.m. Martensdale-St. Marys vs. Kee, 1:30 p.m. Lynnville-Sully vs. East Buchanan, 4:30 p.m. Saint Ansgar vs. Logan-Magnolia, 7 p.m. Semifinals (Wednesday, July 23) TBA vs. TBA, 4:30 p.m. TBA vs. TBA, 7 p.m. Championship (Friday, July 25) TBA vs. TBA, 5 p.m. Class 2A Quarterfinals (Tuesday, July 22) Underwood vs. Cascade, 11 a.m. Unity Christian vs. Mediapolis, 1:30 p.m. Van Meter vs. Chariton, 4:30 p.m. Pleasantville vs. West Lyon, 7 p.m. Semifinals (Thursday, July 24) TBA vs. TBA, 4:30 p.m. TBA vs. TBA, 7 p.m. Championship (Friday, July 25) TBA vs. TBA, 7:30 p.m. Class 3A Quarterfinals (Monday, July 21) Dubuque Wahlert vs. Boone, 11:30 a.m. Davenport Assumption vs. Saydel, 2 p.m. Pella vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton, 5 p.m. Bishop Heelan vs. Carlisle, 7:30 p.m. Semifinals (Wednesday, July 23) TBA vs. TBA, 5 p.m. TBA vs. TBA, 7:30 p.m. Championship (Friday, July 25) TBA vs. TBA, noon p.m. Class 4A Quarterfinals (Tuesday, July 22) Iowa City High vs. Waukee, 11:30 a.m. Johnston vs. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 2 p.m. Waukee Northwest vs. Iowa City Liberty, 5 p.m. Sioux City East vs. Bettendorf, 7:30 p.m. Semifinals (Thursday, July 24) TBA vs. TBA, 5 p.m. TBA vs. TBA, 7:30 p.m. Championship (Friday, July 25) TBA vs. TBA, 2:30 p.m. MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NEWS: Top Iowa prep senior football players set for all-star game Final state fields set for 3A, 4A baseball in Iowa Two defending champs back in Iowa state baseball tournament Tigers knock Iowa City High out of softball, punch first ticket to state in school history Kirkwood High's Jacob Eberhart commits to Big Ten school
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Legendary head basketball coach retires after three decades
Legendary boys basketball coach Ras Vanderloo will step down following several seasons leading Sioux City East. The news was first reported by Logan Shanks of the Sioux City Journal. Vanderloo was the head coach of the Black Raiders for the past 14 seasons, winning 314 games during that time. He has been in the school district in some form for the past 32 years. Along with his impressive record on the high school sidelines leading Sioux City East, Vanderloo has been key with USA Basketball. Advertisement Vanderloo led the Black Raiders to a runner-up finish at the state basketball tournament in 2012 along with a third place trophy four years after that. In 2023, he was named the NFHS Iowa Coach of the Year. Sioux City East won 20-plus games in eight of those 13 seasons under Vanderloo. They went 19-4 this past year, falling to eventual state runner-up Waukee Northwest in a substate final. The new coach for the Black Raiders will have starters Christopher Loggins III, Bilal Yusuf and Naef Yusuf back, along with regulars Cal Jepsen, Jack Ohman and Asser Mutombo-Kasongo. MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NEWS:
