FARGO, ND - The Dubuque Fighting Saints dropped Game 2 of the Clark Cup Final 6-3 on Saturday night to the Fargo Force.

The Saints opened the scoring in Game 2 with Juraj Pekarcik's third goal of the playoffs on a backhand just 6:18 into the first period. Late in the period, though, Fargo scored two goals in 30 seconds to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. The first came with 1:16 left on a Michael La Starza tally before Tom Leppa gave Fargo the lead with 46 seconds left.

Almost halfway through the second period, Pekarcik found Beckett Hendrickson on a net-drive and he redirected a puck past Hampton Slukynsky to tie the game at two for Dubuque. For the second-straight period though, Fargo scored a late goal in the second to take the lead with 2:02 left.

Dubuque had a power-play chance in the second period, but could not convert on its only opportunity of the night. In the third, Fargo converted on its second power play of the contest to extend the Force lead to 4-2 and grab the first multi-goal lead of the game. The power-play goal was the first allowed by the Saints this postseason on the 15th penalty-kill chance they have faced.

Just 1:16 later, the Saints fed Charlie Arend who ripped through the Fargo defense and scored on a backhand shot. The Saints' deficit was cut to one after Arend's first playoff goal. Seamus Powell assisted for his second helper of the night.

A few minutes later, Dubuque lost a board battle in its own zone and Leppa beat Kevin Reidler for his second tally of the contest. 

Despite pulling Reidler late and a flurry of pressure, the Saints could not beat Slukynsky again and Mac Swanson scored an empty-netter to give Fargo a 6-3 advantage.

Reidler made 23 saves in the first back-to-back loss for the Saints this postseason. The Saints put 33 pucks on goal in Game 2, 10 more than they mustered in Game 1, but Slukynsky stopped 30 of them on Saturday.

With Fargo leading the best-of-five series 2-0, the teams will meet in Dubuque for Game 3 on Friday, May 17 at ImOn Arena.