The Sioux Falls Stampede charged out of the gate in the USHL playoffs, securing a commanding 5-2 victory over the Lincoln Stars in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Playing in front of a home crowd at the Premier Center, the Herd established control early and never looked back.

Forward Matthew Grimes set the tone, lighting the lamp less than four minutes into the contest. Jake Prunty doubled the lead before the first intermission, giving the Stampede crucial momentum. After the Stars clawed one back in the second period, Grimes answered with his second goal of the night, a key response that restored the two-goal cushion and silenced Lincoln's push.

The Stampede sealed the deal in the third period. Anthony Bongo extended the lead to three, and J.J. Monteiro iced the game with an empty-net goal. Between the pipes, goaltender Linards Feldbergs was a wall, turning aside 24 shots to backstop the win.

With a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series, the Stampede look to continue their momentum. They host the Lincoln Stars for Game 2 this Sunday at 4:05 p.m., another prime opportunity to defend their home ice and move one step closer to the conference finals.