: Fighting Saints Thrash Gamblers
December 2, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Dubuque Fighting Saints scored three times in the first period, and twice more in the third period to take a massive lead and never look back. The Saints defeated the Green Bay Gamblers 6-2 on Friday night at the Resch Center, and for the fourth time this season.
The Fighting Saints, winners of seven of the last eight games, have now created a three-point separation between themselves and the Gamblers in the eastern conference standings. First-period success started things off the right way for Dubuque, as Dallas Gerads, Jacob Hamacher and Zach Solow all tallied in the first period to extend a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Gerads, the first star of tonight's game, started the scoring at 7:27 with a goal from below the goal line on Gamblers goaltender Maksim Zhukov. He would allow two more following Green Bay's tying marker from Jared Spooner on the power play a minute later, as Hamacher finished off a 3-on-1 rush with a tap-in, and Solow, while shorthanded, scored a goal to extend his point streak to 12 games.
Makai Holdener welcomed the Gamblers back to the ice for the second period with his first USHL goal. David Brumm fiddled a pass through the blue paint to the Swiss forward, who pounced on the loose puck and lifted a backhander over David Hrenak, who took over in net for Zhukov after the first period domination by Dubuque.
Green Bay got back into it with a goal by John Leonard on a late second-period power play, but the Saints closed the door in the third with two goals. The power play came alive with two goals- one from Gerads out of a netmouth scramble, and the other from Theisen, who snapped a shot to the top shelf.
Green Bay eventually outshot the Saints, even after being outshot and dominated in the first period by a 13-6 mark, by a final total of 32-26. The Saints, however, have won nine games when leading after two periods of play without a loss.
Goaltender Jaxon Castor, who got the win for Dubuque by making 30 saves on the night, picked up his 11th win of the season, which ranks second in the league behind Sioux City's Matiss Kivlenieks.
11 different Fighting Saints players tallied at least a point in the win.
The two teams will get back together to wrap up the back half of the home-and-home on Saturday, December 3 at Our House for Teddy Bear Toss Night, along with media partner Dubuque's Super Hits 106.1 FM. Donate new teddy bears after the Fighting Saints score their first goal by throwing them onto the ice. All proceeds will benefit Toys For Tots. For tickets, call the box office at 563.583.6880, or go to DubuqueFightingSaints.com.
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United States Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2016
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