ECSF Game Three Primer: Hitting the Road
Published on April 23, 2026 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
The Saints visit the Lumberjacks on Friday in Game Three of a tied Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Through the first two games, the Saints have seen veterans Michael Barron, Teddy Merrill, Charlie Arend and rookie Xavier Lieb be key pieces to the lineup.
Dubuque opened up the playoffs last Friday night with a 2-1 win over Muskegon, which saw the rookie Lieb net the game-winner for his first goal of the playoffs.
Lieb, who came into the playoffs with 27 regular-season points (8 goals/19 assists) has made his mark in a series that is deadlocked at one after notching a game-winning goal and tallying three shots on goal.
"Scoring the game-winner in Game One felt great." Lieb said." In the series, I have noticed that the physicality and speed has jumped up a notch."
"The animosity is definitely there for the playoffs." Arend said. "We are looking to finish every check and play the body."
In Game Two, the Saints fell to the Lumberjacks 6-2. Assistant Captain Michael Barron made an impact scoring a goal in the opening stanza before netting his second goal of the night in the third period.
Despite Barron's offensive contributions, Dubuque has recorded less than 20 shots in both playoff games. The Fighting Saints failed to reach 20 shots just once in the regular season, a 4-0 win on Feb. 6 vs. Cedar Rapids.
Barron feels like focusing on the process rather than the end result will help accomplish more for Dubuque.
"It is not always about getting 40 shots off, but rather getting five shots in five minutes or getting a shot per shift for each line," Barron said.
In total, Barron, Merrill, Arend and Lieb tallied six total points for Dubuque in the Game One and Game Two.
The group comes into Games Three and Four with a focus on winning in a tough environment on the road in Muskegon.
"Playing in front of an away crowd is a lot different than Dubuque," Merrill said. "We need to create our own energy when playing in an adverse climate."
Barron and Merrill are going into Game Three with a mentality of focusing on the process. The team wants to come out fast and turn up the pressure.
The pair of forwards came into the postseason as the two top point-getters for Dubuque in the regular season. Barron had 68 points (18 goals/50a) which included one game-winning goal and four powerplay markers. Meanwhile, Merrill, the Scottsdale, Ariz., native had 60 points (30g/30a). Each of them have a pair of points so far through the first two games of the series against Muskegon.
The new playoff format allows for a break between games this year. Preparation for the road portion of the series looks different than past years.
"It was nice to have a day off going into practice before hitting the road," Barron said.
"We travel up to Muskegon Thursday," Merrill said. "We will need to find our legs pretty quick once we get off the bus. At home, our schedule is a lot more comfortable and you have your routine."
Defensively, the group is focused on selling out to make it hard for Muskegon to spark an offense of their own.
"A lot of sacrifice will come into play." Arend said. "We will look to play the body and get in front of shooting lanes by blocking shots."
"The keys for us will be keeping them to the outside and closing in on the puck when we have opportunities to chip the puck out of the zone."
Arend, Lieb, Barron and Merrill will look to use physicality and skill to make a push to capture Game Three on the road on Friday night.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 23, 2026
- Tony Gasparini Named USHL GM of the Year - USHL
- ECSF Game Three Primer: Hitting the Road - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Gasparini Named USHL General Manager of the Year - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Mark Carlson Named USHL Coach of the Year - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Mark Carlson Named USHL Coach of the Year - USHL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
