USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Fighting Saints Win 5-2 Over Team USA in Ann Arbor

Published on January 28, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


ANN ARBOR, Michigan - The Fighting Saints got back on track in Ann Arbor Saturday night, winning 5-2 over Team USA one night after a frustrating loss to the Phantoms in Youngstown. Twelve players tallied points for the Fighting Saints in the win, with no player registering more than one point.

Team USA got onto the scoreboard first in the opening period, with Tyler Kelleher taking advantage of some open net space after his team moved the puck ahead in transition. Connor Chatham picked up the assist on the goal. The Fighting Saints responded just a minute later. Zach Diamantoni held the puck in the zone as Team USA attempted to clear, sending it to Kevin Morris, and Morris found Eric Freschi in the left circle from behind the net. Freschi buried the chance to tie the game at one.

The Fighting Saints would take the lead just over two minutes later. After Zemgus Girgensons tried to jam the puck in from below the goal line, it squirted out in the right circle to Matt Caito, who hammered it home to make it 2-1. With Team USA on one of four first period powerplays, Hudson Fasching jammed the puck across the goal line from a netfront scramble to tie the game once more just over a minute after Caito's goal. With under six minutes to go in the period, TJ Moor and Teddy Doherty used some effective puck movement to spring Eliot Grauer free in the slot. Grauer redirected Doherty's feed to put the Fighting Saints ahead 3-2, a lead they would hold at the first intermission, and never surrender.

Less than two minutes into the second period, Jono Davis created a turnover in the offensive zone, skated into the slot, and snapped a shot into the back of the net to give the Fighting Saints a 4-2 lead. With less than five minutes to go in the period, and the Saints still holding the 4-2 lead, Gerard Hanson handed the puck off to Max Gardiner, who carried it across the offensive zone. Gardiner lost control of the puck, but Shane Sooth was waiting in the right circle to pick the puck up and shoot it into the back of the net to put the Fighting Saints ahead 5-2.

Neither team scored in the third period, as the Fighting Saints coasted to a 5-2 victory. Matt Morris made 25 saves in the effort, the Fighting Saints went 0-for-3 on the powerplay, and Team USA finished 1-for-6.

The Fighting Saints will finish off their second three-game-in-three-day stretch over the past two weekends tomorrow afternoon in Muskegon, where they will take on the Lumberjacks at 4:15 p.m. CST. After completing their longest road trip of the season this weekend, the team will play nearly all of their games in February at home. The only exceptions are road games in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.

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United States Hockey League Stories from January 28, 2012


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