Fighting Five: Saints Host Black Hawks on Saturday Night
October 5, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (3-1-0-0, 6 pts) host the Waterloo Black Hawks (3-1-0-0, 6 pts) in a Cowbell Cup matchup on Saturday night at ImOn Arena.
Here are five things to know:
1. Commit and Convert
Josh Giuliani scored twice in Friday's win over Chicago, just days after announcing his commitment to play Division I hockey at the University of St. Thomas.
Giuliani tied a career-high with two goals, scoring both in the second period to help build the Saints lead. Dubuque broke a 1-1 tie with three goals in the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the third period on Friday.
2. Dubuque Detail
In the final frame of Friday's win, Dubuque faced three Chicago power-play chances. The Fighting Saints killed off all three and added a short-handed empty-netter by Michael Barron to seal the win late.
The Saints' kill has now stopped 15 of 16 opposing power plays early this season after going perfect on four chances in Friday's win.
3. Forecheck Fun
Gavin Cornforth ignited the Saints' second-period onslaught with a tenacious forecheck to set up Heikki Ruohonen for Dubuque's second goal in Friday's win. Cornforth forced a turnover with a non-stop effort to find Ruohonen alone in front of the net.
Ruohonen shifted to his backhand and scored into a virtually empty net to score his second goal in as many games for Dubuque. Ruohonen's tally gave the Saints a lead they would never surrender in the contest.
4. Saints Shots
The Fighting Saints finished Friday's win with 47 shots, their most since a 4-2 win over the Steel last April. Dubuque opened the game by launching 23 first-period shots on Chicago goaltender Jack Parsons. Parsons stopped the first 18 of those attempts.
On the 19th attempt, Luke Malboeuf broke through to tie the game at one and earn some momentum back for Dubuque heading into the second period.
5. Hawk Talk
The Black Hawks won their second-consecutive game against Des Moines on Friday night, traveling to beat the Bucs 4-2.
Calvin Vachon returns this season for Waterloo after finishing fourth in the league with a .902 save percentage last season. He had stopped 55 of 58 shots in two wins entering the weekend, before stopping 28 of 30 on Friday. Vachon has posted a .942 save percentage through three appearances this season, while former USA NTDP forward Brendan McMorrow scored twice in Friday's win.
Saturday's game begins at 7:05 p.m. CDT at ImOn Arena. The game is also available on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
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