USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Fighting Saints Win 7-3, Sweep Team USA

Published on April 17, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa -Seven different Fighting Saints scored goals and four others added assists as the Fighting Saints knocked off Team USA to sweep the Americans in the First Round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. The Fighting Saints will play the Indiana Ice on the road on Friday, opening the Eastern Conference Semifinals in their quest to repeat as Clark Cup Champions.

Max Gardiner skated in on the Team USA net early in the first period, hesitated, shot, and scored to give the Fighting Saints a 1-0 lead three and a half minutes into the game. Miles Koules would tie the game for the Americans just 91 seconds later, jamming a puck in from the doorstep to even the score. Four minutes after the game was tied, TJ Moor finished off some brilliant puck movement on the powerplay for the Fighting Saints, one-timing home a shot from the slot to put Dubuque up 2-1. With just over two minutes to go in the opening period, Matt Caito fed the puck to Zemgus Girgensons at the left half wall. Gigensons skated the puck into the slot, wheeled around and fired it towards the net. Jono Davis scored on the rebound of Girgensons' shot to give Dubuque the 3-1 lead. With Dubuque on the powerplay late in the period, however, the Fighting Saints mishandled the puck and allowed Tyler Motte to score an unassisted shorthanded goal to bring the Americans within one goal.

Neither team scored throughout much of the second period, but with the Fighting Saints on the penalty kill, Shane Sooth broke up a play in the neutral zone set up Mike Matheson for a shorthanded goal from the slot to put the Fighting Saints in the 4-2 lead. The goal was the Fighting Saints third shorthanded goal in two playoff games after the Fighting Saints scored 4 shorthanded goals over the entirety of the regular season.

Mike Downing started the scoring for Dubuque in the third period, making a hit to free the puck in the neutral zone and getting assists from Caito and Moor to end up all alone in front of the net to score. His goal placed the Fighting Saints in the 5-2 lead. A brilliant redirection by Tyler Lundey along the goal line sent the puck to the top shelf of the net and pushed the lead to 6-2, giving the Fighting Saints 6 goals in three straight playoff games dating back to last season. Gardiner sent the puck in on Lundey's goal, and Matheson also assisted. Tyler Kelleher knocked a rebound chance in for Team USA to cut the Dubuque lead to 6-3 with under six minutes to play, but Kevin Morris sealed the deal for the Fighting Saints in the final minute with an unassisted empty-net goal.

The Fighting Saints will open the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday in Indiana against the Ice, and play Game 2 on the road on Saturday. The series will swing back to Dubuque on Wednesday, April 25, for Game 3, and Friday, April 27, for Game 4, if necessary. If the series goes to a fifth game, it will be played in Indiana on Saturday, April 28. Tickets for Games 3 and 4 are on sale now on DubuqueFightingSaints.com, and at the Mystique Community Ice Center and by phone at (563) 583-6880 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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United States Hockey League Stories from April 17, 2012


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