Saints Advance to Clark Cup Final with 4-0 Win in Game 5
Published on May 4, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, Iowa- The Dubuque Fighting Saints will have a chance to write a new chapter in a storybook season. The Fighting Saints advanced to the Clark Cup Final with a 4-0 win over the Youngstown Phantoms in front of a sold out crowd of 3,315 in the decisive Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals Saturday night. The Fighting Saints scored three times in the second period and Arthur Brey stopped 23 shots to help Dubuque advance to the Clark Cup Finals for the second time since the team's return to Dubuque in 2010.
Dubuque got key contributions from the line of Joe Manno, Evan Janssen and Jarrid Privitera in the victory. Janssen scored twice, Manno had three assists, and Privitera scored a goal and added two assists. Privitera opened the scoring with his second goal of the playoffs at 7:38 of the second period for what turned out to be the game-winning goal. Manno wrapped the puck from behind the goal and was denied by the goal stick of Youngstown netminder Sean Romeo. Privitera pounced on the rebound, sending a shot under Romeo's left pad to make it 1-0 Dubuque. Manno and Jeff Taylor assisted on the even-strength tally.
A second period team all year long, Dubuque would double its lead at 12:34. Janssen scored his first of two goals, collecting a rebound off a Manno shot and tip-toeing around Romeo and stuffing the puck into the open right side of the net for his third goal of the post-season to make it 2-0 Dubuque.
Less than a minute late Dubuque would deliver a critical blow off the stick of captain Shane Sooth. Off a faceoff in neutral ice, Sooth got the puck to Frankie DiChaira who gave it back to Sooth on the left wing. The forward ripped a shot under the crossbar and in for his first post-season goal since Game 2 of the Clark Cup Final in 2011. The goal came at 13:40 and sent the crowd into frenzy and added insurance for Dubuque on a Youngstown team who had outscored opponents 12-4 in the playoffs during the third period.
After outshooting Youngstown 11-5 in the second period, Dubuque would hold off Youngstown in the third period and Brey kicked aside nine Phantoms shots in the final period to preserve the shutout. Brey made several key saves and forced James Mazza, who streaked in all alone for Youngstown early in the period, to fire a shot wide of the goal to keep it 3-0.
The Phantoms would pull Romeo with three minutes remaining down by three looking for any sort of offense but it was the Manno, Janssen, Privitera line that would score on the empty net. Janssen fired his second of the game into the dead center of the goal from the blue line at 17:41 to seal the deal for the Fighting Saints. Manno and Privitera assisted on Janssen's fourth goal of the playoffs that made it 4-0.
The Game 5 was the first in the know history of the Fighting Saints to be played in Dubuque. The last time the Fighting Saints skated in a Game 5 was in Des Moines in 1991 when Dubuque won to capture the first-round series 3-2.
The Fighting Saints are the Eastern Conference Champions and will take on the winner of the Fargo/Sioux Falls series in the Clark Cup Final, which begins next Friday. Dubuque has won four Clark Cups in team history with the latest coming in 2011 when Dubuque, then in the Western Conference, earned a 3-1 series win over the Green Bay Gamblers. The Fighting Saints also won the Clark Cup under Head Coach Jack Barzee in 1981, 1983, and 1985.
Game 1 of the Clark Cup Final is Friday, May 10 at 7:35 p.m. at the Mystique Community Ice Center. Game 2 is the following night, Saturday, May 11 at 7:05 p.m. in Dubuque. If needed, a decisive Game 5 would be played on Tuesday, May 21 at 7:05 p.m. at the Mystique Community Ice Center. Tickets to all Clark Cup Final games are on sale now by calling 563.583.6880 or online at DubuqueFightingSaints.com.
United States Hockey League Stories from May 4, 2013
- Saints Advance to Clark Cup Final with 4-0 Win in Game 5 - Dubuque Fighting Saints
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