Fighting Five: Saints Open Preseason at Riders
September 6, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (0-0-0-0) visit the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (0-0-0-0) on Friday night in Cedar Rapids.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. Preseason Prowess
The Fighting Saints open the preseason with their first of four exhibition contests on Friday night in Cedar Rapids. Dubuque will return home to face the Riders on Saturday to finish a preseason home-and-home.
Next weekend, Dubuque will play a home-and-home with the Chicago Steel on Sept. 13 and 14. Following the pair with the Steel, Dubuque will open the regular season against Sioux City at the USHL Fall Classic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sept. 18.
2. Saints Size
The Saints enter the season with some big bodies manning their blue line. Starting with 6-6, 220 Kristian Kostadinski, who announced his commitment to Boston College on Thursday, the Saints have multiple defensemen that will tower over opponents.
In addition to Kostadinski, Matthew Desiderio will return this season and stand on the blue line at 6-4. Newcomers Cullen McCrate (6-3) and Sean Barnhill (6-5) also will stand on the back-end for the Fighting Saints.
3. Rival Ready
Dubuque won its fifth-straight Cowbell Cup title last season, taking the crown over Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Waterloo.
The Fighting Saints have won eight total titles of the 13 that have been awarded. They'll open up their Cowbell Cup schedule at home on Oct. 5 against Waterloo. The Saints first regular season matchup with Cedar Rapids is not until a road matchup on Nov. 22.
4. Powerful Preparation
The Fighting Saints begin the preseason as they look to select their roster for the opening game of the season on Sept. 18. During the exhibition games, the Saints coaching staff will evaluate to see who they want to bring to Pittsburgh and the Fall Classic.
5. Rough Rounds
The Riders finished seventh in the Eastern Conference last season, but return leading point scorer Amine Hajibi for this season after a 46-point performance last season.
Cedar Rapids also brings back goaltender Rudy Guimond, who played in 32 games last season and posted an .869 save percentage.
Friday's game begins at 7:05 p.m. at ImOn Ice in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The game will be available on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
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