Fighting Five: Saints Open Season against Sioux City at Fall Classic

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Dubuque Fighting Saints

Fighting Five: Saints Open Season against Sioux City at Fall Classic

September 18, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


CRANBERRY TWP, PA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (0-0-0-0, 0 pts) begin the 2024-25 season on Wednesday night at the USHL Dick's Sporting Goods Fall Classic against the Sioux City Musketeers (0-0-0-0, 0 pts).

Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:

1. East Beasts

Dubuque begins its quest to repeat as Eastern Conference champions with 10 returning players from last season's squad that skated all the way to the Clark Cup Final. The returning group is spearheaded by forwards Gavin Cornforth and Michael Barron.

Cornforth brings 111 games of USHL experience to the Saints lineup on Opening Night after scoring 32 points in his second USHL season last year. Barron is the team's highest returning point-producer after scoring 15 goals and 35 points in his rookie campaign that earned him USHL All-Rookie 2nd Team accolades.

2. Supersize Saints

Dubuque will deploy a much larger lineup than last season with a group of tall defensemen leading the way. Kristian Kostadinski joins the Saints as a 6-5, 220 pound defenseman who served as the captain for Frölunda's U20 team last season in Sweden.

He is joined on the blue line by 6-5 Sean Barnhill and 6-3 Matthew Desiderio. Dryden Allen and Cullen McCrate also add more size and strength to the Saints blue line.

3. Saints Specials

Last season, the Fighting Saints led the league with a 31.5% power-play conversion rate. The team's power-play units featured four players who scored 10-or-more power-play goals, including the league's leading power-play scorer Noah Powell (16 PPG). The Saints' power play only went back-to-back games without converting twice all season.

Dubuque's penalty kill in 2023-24 was superb as well, finishing second in the USHL at 84.0%. The kill had multiple long streaks of extended perfection, going five-or-more games without allowing a goal on two occasions during the season. The team's penalty kill stopped 17 of 18 opposing power plays during their playoff run as well.

4. Fresh Faces

A few new Saints separated themselves with their offensive output during the preseason. Jonathan Morello, a graduate of the Saints' affiliate list, led the team with six points during the preseason (2-4-6). Morello is committed to Boston University and is a Boston Bruins draft pick.

Lucas Van Vliet, a Phase II draft pick from the USA NTDP, scored twice and assisted twice over three preseason contests. Van Vliet was a seventh-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights at the NHL Draft in June.

Heikki Ruohonen, a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the same draft, also impressed during the exhibition games with a goal and three assists.

5. Musketeer Minute

The Musketeers also had a long-playoff run last season, falling in a decisive Game 5 of the Western Conference Final to the Fargo Force. Sioux City's leading goal-scorer and the USHL's third-leading scorer from last year, Kaden Shahan, moved on to college hockey, leaving a 39-goal hole in the lineup.

Samuel Urban returns between the pipes for Sioux City after playing in 34 games with an .893 save percentage last year.

Wednesday's season-opener begins at 6:00 p.m. CDT at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and can be found on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.

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