USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Dichiara Scores Hat Trick as Saints Dominate Ice Friday

Published on March 29, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa-The USHL's top team flexed its muscles Friday night, and on "Good Fly Day," everything went right for the Fighting Saints. A dominating performance from the opening faceoff to the final buzzer helped Dubuque rattle off their fifth straight win Friday night, as the Fighting Saints topped the Indiana Ice 8-1 at the Mystique Community Ice Center. Dubuque scored five goals in the opening frame, Frankie DiChiara notched a hat trick and the Fighting Saints got a pair of goals from A.J. Fossen and Eric Freschi. With the victory and Sioux Falls loss to Omaha, Dubuque is now five points ahead of the Stampede in the race for the Anderson Cup.

The scoring was early and often for the Fighting Saints. DiChiara shoveled his 25th goal of the season past Indiana goalie Anderson Snair at the 4:45 mark of the first period to make it 1-0 Fighting Saints. Forward Karson Kuhlman drove the net and was denied from the right wing, but the puck remained loose for DiChiara who jammed the puck over the goal line through a pile up in front of the crease. Dubuque peppered Snair with 21 shots in the first period and the Ice goalie found himself victimized for four more goals following DiChiara's strike.

A.J. Fossen scored his first of two goals at 5:58 from Freschi and Szmatula. Freschi added a goal three minutes later at 8:58 on a rocket of a wrist shot from the low slot that beat Snair over the glove to make it 3-0. DiChiara notched his second goal of the game at 13:23 when Niklas Nevalainen's slap pass from the left point deflected over to a right wing. DiChaira was wide open and fired the puck into the empty side of the goal to make it 4-0. Freschi would add one last blow at 16:24 of the first period on a similar goal to his earlier tally. Freschi again roofed the puck from the slot, this time beating Snair over the blocker and Dubuque went to the locker room after the first period with a commanding 5-0 lead.

The onslaught continued into the second period with the Fighting Saints extending its lead to half-a-dozen on a Jarrid Priviera goal only 1:23 into the middle frame. Joe Manno wrapped the puck from behind the goal off of Snair's left pad, but the rebound popped to Privitera on the right wing and the forward slammed home his 13th goal of the season.

Dubuque's dominance continued on what looked like an effortless goal for Fossen at 12:16 of the second period. Mike Downing darted around an Ice defender with the puck in the right faceoff circle before firing a slow pass across to Fossen on the left wing. Snair had committed on the far post, and Fossen fired a shot low along the ice into the yawning goal to make it 7-0 and earn him his second goal of the game and 11th of the year.

The Ice would respond with their only goal of the game from Jason Salvaggio on the powerplay at 13:08 to make it 7-1. A blueline shot from Drew Newmeyer was stopped by Dubuque goaltender Arthur Brey with the blocker, but the rebound popped to Salvaggio who fired it upstairs for his 5th goal of the year.

The third period saw the Fighting Saints continue to pressure but the only tally of the period came from DiChiara to earn the hat trick. Kuhlman's pass to the slot hit a body and deflected to the low slot where DiChiara roofed a shot off the crossbar and in over Snair's glove for his 27th goal of the season at 15:48.

The Fighting Saints matched a season high in goals in a game as they also scored eight times in an 8-2 victory over Green Bay on January 5. Brey recorded the win between the pipes for the Fighting Saints, stopping 21 shots and earning his 23rd victory of the year. Dubuque went 0-for-4 on the powerplay while Indiana was 1-for-2. The Fighting Saints are now 3-0-0 against Indiana this season and have outscored the Ice 17-3 on the season.

Both the Fighting Saints and the Sioux Falls Stampede have five games remaining. Dubuque has 91 points while the Stampede now trail by five points in the Anderson Cup race with their 4-2 loss versus Omaha Friday. The two teams meet next Saturday night in Sioux Falls. Dubuque has not captured the Anderson Cup since the 1982-83 season.

The excitement wasn't just on the ice at Friday's game as the first 1,000 fans received a Fighting Saints Fish Fly Swatter perfect for Dubuquers for what the Fighting Saints called "Good Fly Day" in honor of the day's *other*event.

The Saints and Ice square off again tomorrow as the weekend fun continues Saturday with a Canned Food Drive presented by CenturyLink at 7:05 p.m. Fans can receive $2 off a ticket courtesy of CenturyLink by helping support local food pantries with a non-perishable canned food item. Fans may purchase tickets to both games this weekend in person at the Mystique Community Ice Center, by calling 563.583.6880, or online at DubuqueFightingSaints.com.

Check out the Dubuque Fighting Saints Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 29, 2013


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