Fighting Five: Saints Host U17s to Open Weekend Set
October 25, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (6-3-0-0, 12 pts) open a two-game set with the USA NTDP U17s (1-3-0-0, 2 pts) on Friday night at ImOn Arena.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. Bouncing Back
The Saints ended a two-game skid with a 6-0 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers on Saturday, led by a 29-save shutout from goaltender Jan Špunar.
Dubuque fired in five goals in the second period to take a commanding lead into the third and scored a pair of power-play goals in the win.
2. Breakaway Barron
Michael Barron scored his second breakaway goal of the year on Saturday and now leads the Fighting Saints with five goals scored this season.
Barron is one of three Saints tied for third in the USHL with nine points, joining Gavin Cornforth and Colin Frank in the top-five of USHL scoring ranks.
3. Saints Setup
The Saints' power play broke out against Des Moines with a pair of goals on four chances. Heikki Ruohonen scored on a quick setup in the slot to open the scoring in the win before Matthew Desiderio blasted a puck in for the final goal of the win.
Dubuque's power play is at 17.6% and is the third-best unit in the Eastern Conference. Saturday was the second multi-goal output by the power play so far this season.
4. Fun Firsts
In Saturday's win, Ritter Coombs scored his first-career goal in his first game while Gavin Lock logged his first USHL point with an assist.
Jan Špunar also produced his first-career shutout in his fourth game for the Fighting Saints. Špunar faced 15 of 29 total shots in the second period of the win, his busiest frame of the contest.
5. American Kids
The Saints meet the U17 NTDP squad for their only two meetings of the season this weekend. Last year, the Saints swept the U17 team in a pair of games on the road.
The U17s have struggled defensively through four games, allowing 5.5 goals per game in the early-going. Offensively, the team is led by JP Hurlbert's three goals and Mikey Berchild's three points.
Friday's game begins at 7:05 p.m. CDT and tickets can be purchased here. The game can be found on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
• Discuss this story on the United States Hockey League message board...
United States Hockey League Stories from October 25, 2024
- Saints Take Down U17s with Second-Straight Shutout - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Turnovers Prove Costly in Home Opener. Jacks Fall 5-4 to Steel - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Saints Take Down USA for Second-Straight Shutout - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Phantoms Outduel Musketeers in 5-4 Win - Youngstown Phantoms
- Stars Drop First Game In Over A Month - Lincoln Stars
- Hawks Drop Home Shootout - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Lancers Fall in Overtime - Omaha Lancers
- Steel End Five-Game Skid With Gutsy Win Over Muskegon - Chicago Steel
- Gameday Preview - Lincoln Stars
- Caps Host Cedar Rapids, Travel to Green Bay - Madison Capitols
- RoughRiders November Theme Calendar Set - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Fighting Five: Saints Host U17s to Open Weekend Set - Dubuque Fighting Saints
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.
