CEDAR RAPIDS, IA -- The Sioux Falls Stampede rallied from deficits three times and scored five times in the third period as they took down the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 7-4 Saturday night in Cedar Rapids. C.J. Franklin and Tony Calderone scored twice each while Charlie Lindgren earned his league leading 19th win of the season in goal with 13 saves.

The win improved the Herd’s record to 26-9-1 and kept them two points ahead of Fargo for first place in the Western Conference. Sioux Falls has now won 13 of their last 15 games and improved to 9-5-1 on the road and 3-1-0 on their current nine-game road swing.

Trailing 2-0 heading into the second period, Sioux Falls got on the board 7:55 into the second period when Tony Calderone tallied his first of two on the night. Victor Bjorkung wristed a shot from the right point that was deflected by Calderone into the back of the net. Minutes later, Ed McGovern recorded his second goal of the season when he backhanded a rebound in the crease through the pads of Cedar Rapids netminder Chris Birdsall to make it a 2-2 game. The Riders would regain the lead at 16:52 when Ross Olsson lifted the puck over a stretched out Lindgren to give Cedar Rapids a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.

Jake Ahlgren recorded his first career USHL goal when he knocked in a pass from Ian Mansfield just 2:39 in to tie the game. Cedar Rapids would once again regain the lead at 6:23 when Alec Marsh scored when he picked up a loose puck in front of the crease and slid it past Lindgren. The Herd wasted little time tying the game again though as Calderone scored his second of the night on the powerplay. Todd Skirving fired a shot on goal that was stopped by BIrdsall, but the rebound bounced to Calderone who buried the opportunity and tied the game at four.

Sioux Falls took their first lead of the night at 10:41 when Thomas Forgione, a former RoughRider, recorded his 12th goal of the season. Forgione picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and raced down the right wing boards before cutting in front of the net and sliding the puck under the pads of Birdsall to give the Herd a 5-4 lead. The Herd added to their lead when C.J. Franklin tallied a powerplay goal at 12:40. Zeb Knutson batted down a puck in front of the net that went to Franklin who quickly wacked the puck into the net. Franklin would add a shorthanded empty net goal with 32 seconds left to lift the Herd to a come from behind 7-4 win.

Sioux Falls outshot Cedar Rapids 24-17 on the night and went 2-for-4 on the powerplay while the RoughRiders were 1-for-5.

The Herd return to action next Friday and Saturday when they continue their nine-game road trip with games in Ann Arbor and Muskegon, Mich.

Courtesy:  Jim Olander/Sioux Falls Stampede

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