Overtime Heroics Earns Dubuque 2-1 Win Over Riders Friday
September 13, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, IA- On consecutive Fridays, overtime had been kind to the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Shane Kavanagh scored at the 3:36 mark of the extra session on a breakaway to give the Fighting Saints a 2-1 win Friday night at the Mystique Community Ice Center, and improve the team to 4-0-0 in the preseason.
Cedar Rapids struck first, as Erik Foley opened the game's scoring midway through the 1st Period. Georgy Gorodetsky worked the puck towards the Dubuque net and fired a shot low along the ice the hit the goal post. Before Dubuque goaltender Jacob Nehama could recover, Foley collected the rebound and fired a shot past the right pad of the netminder to make it 1-0 at 13:41. Gorodetsky and Derek Daschke assisted.
The second period saw a series of big his and scrums, but Cedar Rapids goaltender Ben Blacker stood tall, keeping Dubuque off the board.
The Fighting Saints finally solved the RoughRiders goaltender, scoring just one minute into the game's final frame. On a powerplay, the Fighting Saints Wyatt Ege walked the blue line and dished a pass to teammate Jacob Benson. At the left point, Benson drifted in, and with a screen in front of the net, wired a wrist shot that Blacker never saw. Benson's shot found its way through traffic and beat Blacker upstairs, blocker side, to tie the game, 1-1, early in the 3rd Period.
Following the goal, Dubuque gained the momentum. In the final period, Dubuque outshot Cedar Rapids 16-4, but it was again Blacker coming up big time to keep the game tied. The Western Michigan commit stopped 38 shots on the evening and was named the game's 2nd Star for his efforts.
With the contest deadlocked 1-1, the game went to overtime. With the USHL playing an experimental 3-on-3 overtime format in the preseason, there was plenty of open space, and for the second straight Friday, a Fighting Saints forward played overtime hero. A week prior, J.D. Dudek scored on a penalty shot to earn a 3-2 win over Waterloo in overtime. This time it was Kavanagh on a breakaway to give Dubuque the victory.
With the Fighting Saints deep in their own zone for an extended period of time, the puck popped back to the blue line. The Cedar Rapids defender was unable to control the puck and Kavanagh raced past him, charging up ice alone. Kavanagh made his move, lifting a backhander over Blacker's blocker to give Dubuque the victory.
The Fighting Saints outshot the RoughRiders 40-24, and earned a 2-1 victory over the RoughRiders for the second time in as many nights. Ben Johansson, who entered the game in relief of Nehama, got the win in goal, stopping all 12 shots he faced.
The Fighting Saints will travel to the USHL Fall Classic East next week to play a pair of games. Dubuque plays Bloomington Monday at 1:00 p.m. from the Resch Center, then battles Youngstown Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. Both games can be heard on Super Hits 106.1 FM. The Fighting Saints next home game will be during the regular season, for Opening Night presented by American Trust on Saturday, October 4. The first 3,000 fans will receive a magnetic calendar schedule. Tickets are available by calling 563.583.6880 or online at DubuqueFightingSaints.com.
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