Burchill's Goal Lifts Saints to Victory over Des Moines
November 28, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL) - Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Dubuque Fighting Saints won their third game in a row, and they did it with a game-breaking late goal. Mikey Burchill scored his second goal of the game with 1:45 to go in the third period on a 2-on-1 break, and Shawn O'Donnell added an empty-net goal to seal the deal in a 7-5 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers on Saturday night.
Stephen Halliday lost his stick making a defensive play, and he kicked the puck out to center ice, which evaded Bucs defenseman John Driscoll. Connor Kurth lugged the puck up ice with Burchill, and Burchill wired the puck past Lucas Szyszka to give Dubuque a 6-5 lead. It was Burchill's second goal of the game, and it answered Davis Burnside's goal at 6:56, which tied the game at five.
Burchill posted two goals and an assist, and earned first star honors.
The Fighting Saints did not score the opening goal in the game. Des Moines opened the scoring just two and a half minutes into the game with a strike from Tanner Latsch on a back-door pass from Cade DeStefani. However, the Fighting Saints battled back to take the lead heading into the first intermission.
Kurth scored his first goal of the night after winning a faceoff for himself. Austin Oravetz shot the puck through traffic, and as the puck rebounded off Des Moines' starter Carson Limesand, Kurth jammed in the rebound past the prone goaltender to tie the game at one. Burchill added his first goal of the game on a rebound with over four minutes to go in the first period.
The second period broke the game wide open. Both teams scored three goals in the period, and the lead changed three separate times.
Des Moines tied the game early in the second period as Michael Stenberg re-directed a puck past Paxton Geisel on the power play to get the game to 2-2. It took just four and a half minutes for Kurth to respond for the Fighting Saints, as he used his full wingspan to deke around Limesand to give Dubuque a 3-2 lead.
Des Moines took control of the momentum of the game late in the second period and prevented the Fighting Saints from getting through the neutral zone. They went from behind to in front in just 31 seconds. Jackson Dorrington scored on a cross-crease pass from Stenberg one second after a penalty from Jaxson Ezman expired to tie the game at three, and Henry Bartle took advantage of a broken play to snipe a goal to give Des Moines the lead.
Dubuque would not go down easily. Ryan Beck spotted Kenny Connors, and Connors re-directed the puck past Limesand to tie the game. Tristan Lemyre pounced on a loose puck rebound in front of a vacant net and gave Dubuque the lead heading into the third period. Both goals came within a 21-second span.
Szyszka took over for Limesand after the second period came to an end.
Geisel made 21 saves in his third consecutive win on the weekend. His record improves to 5-2-2 on the year. The Fighting Saints outshot the Buccaneers 29-24 for the game.
The Saints are back in action in a home-and-home with the Chicago Steel starting on Friday, December 3 on the road, and return home Saturday, December 4 for Teddy Bear Toss with ImOn Communications. Tickets are available at DubuqueFightingSaints.com.
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United States Hockey League Stories from November 28, 2021
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- Bucs Fall at Dubuque - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Late Goal Sinks Stars in Omaha - Lincoln Stars
- Force Comeback and Beat Storm in OT - Fargo Force
- Burchill's Goal Lifts Saints to Victory over Des Moines - Dubuque Fighting Saints
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