: Saints Inch Closer to Playoffs, Top Steel
Published on March 24, 2017 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, Iowa - On a Friday night in which every single on of their playoff competitors picked up wins, the Dubuque Fighting Saints responded in kind with a victory over the top team in the Eastern Conference. Two goals in the opening period powered the way for the Saints, who topped the Chicago Steel 3-1 at the Mystique Community Ice Center.
The magic number to clinch a spot in the Clark Cup playoffs is 4, and with the right results on Saturday, they could very well punch their ticket to the postseason dance.
Dubuque got goals from Alex Steeves, Zach Solow and Patrick Kudla on the night, as well as a stellar performance in net from Jaxon Castor, who made 28 saves on the night. Chicago responded in kind with a tally from Mitch Lewandowski.
The offense was powered by captain Dallas Gerads on Friday night, who picked up two assists, as well as a fight. He finished the night +2, and helped get the team on the board first. A pass deflected off of a skate right to Steeves, who ripped home his fifth goal of the season to get the Saints on the board.
Lewandowski tied it just two minutes later after a Fighting Saints turnover proved costly. The veteran forward stashed a loose puck past Castor for an unassisted tally.
But just two minutes later, Solow would get the Saints' power play on the board. After Alex Stevens disrupted a potential shorthanded breakaway, Cole Guttman and Colin Theisen set up the league's leading scorer for his 15th goal of the season.
Kudla added the insurance marker in the second period, thanks to Gerads and MacAdams on the assists.
The Saints hosted a sellout crowd of 3,224 on Autism Awareness Night, sponsored by Prairie Farms Dairy, of which $2 of each ticket sale, and $5 of each Autism Awareness t-shirt purchase benefitted Unified Therapy Services' 5K Run/Walk for Autism in April, in which proceeds will go towards autism classrooms in the Dubuque area, and Camp Bee-A-Friend through Camp Albrecht Acres.
The Saints remain on the road for two more games this weekend, as they travel to Waterloo to take on the Black Hawks on Saturday, and then to Sioux City to take on the Musketeers on Sunday. Catch all of the action on the home of the Saints, Dubuque's Super Hits 106.1 FM, or on the USHL's streaming video provider, HockeyTV.
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About the Dubuque Fighting Saints
The Fighting Saints returned to USHL play in the brand new Mystique Community Ice Center during the 2010-11 season, winning the Clark Cup in their first year back in the USHL. The Fighting Saints continued their success with a historic season in 2012 - 13, finishing with a franchise best 45 - 11â=80=908 record. The team claimed the Anderson Cup as the USHL's regular season champions for the first time in 30 years, and also earned the Clark Cup for second time in three seasons. In August 2013, the team took the Bronze Medal while representing the United States at the Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia. The Fighting Saints have reached the Clark Cup Final three times in the past six seasons. The club has produced a number of players that moved on to NCAA Division I hockey and have been drafted by NHL teams, including Zemgus Girgensons, Johnny Gaudreau and Mike Matheson. The original Fighting Saints competed in the USHL for 21 seasons (1980-2001). The club won the Clark Cup as playoff champions on three occasions (1981, 1983, 1985) under head coach Jack Barzee. One of the most well-known alumni of the original Fighting Saints was Gary Suter, a 17â=80=90year NHL veteran, two-time Olympian, Stanley Cup champion, and member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
About Northern Lights Hockey, LLC
Northern Lights Hockey, LLC is the company that owns and operates the USHL franchise in Dubuque, Iowa. The owners of Northern Lights Hockey, LLC collectively provide an extensive background in both business and hockey, and represent interests on a national and local level. Philip Falcone, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of HC2 Holdings, Inc. and former part owner of the NHL's Minnesota Wild, is the company's principal owner. The ownership group also includes Peter Chiarelli, Edmonton Oilers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Mark Falcone, and Brad Kwong, Managing Partner of Northern Lights Hockey, LLC. Philip Falcone, Chiarelli and Kwong all played hockey together at Harvard University in the mid-1980s. The group also includes local Iowan partners Mark Falb and David S. Field, M.D. Falb currently serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Westmark Enterprises, Inc. and Kendall / Hunt Publishing Company. Dr. Field has practiced orthopedic surgery for 30 years and has been the driving force behind hockey in Dubuque. Dr. Field also owned the Dubuque Thunderbirds, the USA Hockey Tier III team that competed in the Central States Hockey League through the 2009-10 Season.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2017
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