Fighting Five: Saints Visit Black Hawks for Tuesday Matchup
October 29, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
WATERLOO, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (8-3-0-0, 16 pts) make their first trip to face the Waterloo Black Hawks (6-3-2-1, 15 pts) of the season on Tuesday night.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. Saints Stifle
The Fighting Saints have shut out their opponent in two of the last three games with a pair of shutouts by goaltender Jan Špunar. Špunar touts an individual shutout streak of 122:59 entering the week for the Fighting Saints.
During his streak, Dubuque did not allow a goal for a stretch of 148:04. It was the team's first time with back-to-back shutouts since Feb. 3-4, 2023 when Marcus Brännman blanked Green Bay in consecutive games.
2. Clutch Comeback
The Saints scored twice in the third period with Charlie Arend and Michael Barron to erase a deficit and take the lead on Saturday against the USA NTDP U17s. Arend's first of the year came just 41 seconds after USA took its first lead of the game in the third period.
Barron's team-leading sixth of the season came with just 2:27 left in regulation and put the Saints ahead 3-2 to complete the weekend sweep of the U17s.
3. Killer Instinct
Dubuque's penalty kill remained the best in the league with eight kills on eight chances last weekend against the U17s. The Saints' kill has stopped 94.6% of opposing power plays this season.
The Fighting Saints stopped all four Waterloo power plays in the only other meeting between the teams this season, a 4-3 overtime win for Dubuque on Oct. 5.
4. Cowbell Cup
The Saints are 2-0-0-0 in two Cowbell Cup games so far this season, while Waterloo has won three of its five Cowbell Cup games so far. Dubuque is a five-time defending Cowbell Cup Champion, while Waterloo leads the competition so far this season with eight points.
The teams will meet six more times this season following Tuesday's matchup, with each team hosting three of those contests.
5. Black Hawk Bits
Waterloo split a pair of Cowbell Cup games last weekend at home, dropping a shootout to Des Moines on Friday before a 4-0 shutout-win over Cedar Rapids on Saturday.
The Hawks are strong on special teams, with top-five units on both sides. The Hawks' 23.3% power play is fifth in the league, while Waterloo only trails Dubuque on the penalty kill with an 89.6% unit.
Tuesday's game begins at 6:05 p.m. CDT at Young Arena and can be found on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
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United States Hockey League Stories from October 29, 2024
- Saints Claw Back to Earn Shootout Win - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Saints Claim Shootout in Waterloo - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Fighting Five: Saints Visit Black Hawks for Tuesday Matchup - Dubuque Fighting Saints
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