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USHL Madison Capitols

Capitols Complete Wild Three-Goal Third Period Comeback to down Dubuque in Shootout

March 29, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release


Madison, WI- The Madison Capitols (22-23-11) stormed back from a 4-1 third period deficit to tie the score before defeating the Dubuque Fighting Saints (33-18-5) in a shootout on Sunday at the Alliant Energy Center.

In a first period littered with icing calls and a clogged-up neutral zone, both teams were able to generate offensive chances off of offensive zone draws. Dubuque appeared like they would take the early lead, but Garrett Metcalf sprawled out to deny Robby Jackson on a pass in front to keep the game scoreless. Metcalf was able to turn aside all 10 Dubuque shots in the first frame.

At the other end of the rink, Gavin Nieto was equally strong between the Dubuque pipes, stopping 15 shots, including a breakaway bid by Freddy Gerard, who was looking for a goal in his third straight game. Haralds Egle and Hunter Luhmann also had opportunities for the Capitols on drives to the net, but Nieto was able to close it off despite some traffic in his crease.

After being outshot in the first, Matt Shaw's team answered in a big way in the second period. First, the squad's leading goal scorer, Brett Boeing, broke the deadlocked score, accepting an alley-oop pass from Jacob Benson and beating Metcalf on a breakaway at 1:58 to put the Fighting Saints on top, 1-0.

A few moments later, Michal Kabac tried to spark his team, as he fought with Saints forward Dylan Gambrell. However, Kabac was ruled to have pulled Gambrell's helmet off his head during the fight. As a result, Kabac received a match penalty automatically and Dubuque got a five-minute power play.

With the man advantage, the Fighting Saints found their hottest player, and University of Wisconsin commit Seamus Malone buried his fourth goal in two games against Madison on the weekend to put Dubuque up, 2-0, at the 5:18 mark. Former Badgers defenseman Keegan Ford also assisted on both second-period goals for the Saints.

The third period took on a sequence almost identical to the game the two teams played at the Alliant Energy Center on Nov. 28, when Madison fell behind by three before storming back to force overtime. Dubuque upped their lead to three goals on Willie Knierim's power play tip-in at 6:30 of the final period.

Madison refused to go down softly though, as Guillaume Leclerc fished out a rebound and poked it home from the blue paint at 8:05 to pull Madison to within two at 3-1.

It looked like Dubuque would spoil the comeback try when Evan Smith finished off a cross-ice feed from William Lagesson at 9:30 to make it 4-1 Saints.

The game turned around, though, when Madison picked up its first power play chance when Ford was whistled down for hooking at 11:03. Just 33 seconds later, Malone received a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct to set Madison up with a 5-on-3 with 8:24 remaining on the third period clock.

With the odds still stacked against Madison, Capitols head coach Luke Strand pulled Metcalf to create a 6-on-3 edge. The move paid off, as Luke McElhenie tipped home a Charlie Gerard pass at 12:36 to make it 4-2.

With still a minute of 5-on-4 time remaining, and Metcalf back in his crease, Madison wasted little time getting on the board again, as Daniel Willett picked up a rebound on the left side from Nieto and beat the goaltender to the glove side at 13:34, just 58 seconds after the McElhenie marker.

It took just another 35 seconds for the Capitols to tie the score, as Cooper Watson picked up a turnover in the high slot and wristed it past Nieto for his first goal since Nov. 7 against Waterloo.

Madison completed the 4-1 comeback in the span of just 1:33 of action. The two teams stalemated the remainder of regulation, forcing overtime.

The Capitols continued to carry the momentum in overtime, with Leclerc narrowly missing a game winner in tight off a pass from Charlie Gerard.

The game then carried into a shootout, where Egle gave Madison the early 1-0 lead on a beautiful fake-slapshot, forehand five-hole maneuver.

Nate Sucese kept the Saints alive by beating Metcalf along the ice in the third round, but Charlie Gerard ended the game by beating Nieto over the glove to give Madison the 2-1 shootout win and 5-4 win for the game.

The Capitols and Fighting Saints get right back on Alliant Energy Center ice on Friday for a 7 p.m. matchup on D.C. Eagle Bobblehead Night at the Coliseum. Tickets are available by calling (608) 257-CAPS (2277).

Capitols' 2015-16 season tickets are available now by visiting www.MadCapsHockey.com. Fans who pay in full for season tickets by June 1 will receive a specialty season ticket holder jersey. Packages can also be purchased by calling (608) 257-CAPS (2277).

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