USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Fighting Saints Work Overtime, Top Black Hawks

February 20, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa - Make it wins in five of the last six games. The Dubuque Fighting Saints rallied from two deficits to defeat their in-state rival, the Waterloo Black Hawks, in overtime 4-3 on Friday night at the Mystique Community Ice Center.

Shane Kavanagh sent the Fighting Saints faithful home happy with his second goal of the game, a converted pass from Spenser Young in the neutral zone, which sprung him on a two-on-one break with Nathan Sucese. The Providence commit cut to the middle of the ice, forced a Waterloo defender into goaltender Cale Morris, and roofed a shot into the goal, leading to the win. The goal came 39 seconds away from a shootout.

Kavanagh erased a 3-2 Waterloo lead with a late third-period power play goal, again, utilizing his patience with the puck to tuck a short-side wrist shot into the goal through Morris and a ton of traffic, snapping a ten-game goalless drought in the process.

Waterloo took that lead after capitalizing on a defensive zone turnover. Yuri Terao picked off a pass through the middle of the ice, and in the midst of the scramble, found a wide-open Liam Pecararo for a tap-in. That put the visitors ahead just six minutes into the final frame.

It was a Waterloo team that had only lost twice when scoring the first goal this season that did indeed get the overtime loss on this night, even after striking first. Terao converted on the Black Hawks' sole power play of the night, firing a laser from the left circle through starter Jaxon Castor.

They extended that lead early in the second period with a goal from former Fighting Saints draft pick David Cotton. The power forward's 14th goal of the season resulted from a defensive zone miscommunication.

Castor held the fort by flashing across the crease and denying Kevin Charyszyn on a shorthanded rush, preventing the Hawks from extending their lead.

Powered by that save, and a tremendous shift from the "energy line," it would be that line that broke the goose egg. Dallas Gerads converted a rink-wide dish from Zach Solow, set up on a give-and-go with Colin Theisen. That goal cut the lead to one in the second period.

It would be completely erased by Gordie Green's knuckleball shot six minutes later that deflected off of a Waterloo defender out in front of the net. Green's eighth goal of the season drew the Fighting Saints even at two apiece.

Castor won his sixth game of the season, taking five of his last six decisions in goal, and three starts in a row. He made 22 saves to pick up the win on Friday night. Morris stopped 39 Fighting Saints offerings.

Game two of the back-to-back set with the Waterloo Black Hawks is tomorrow at Young Arena at 7:05 p.m. Join all of the action on the flagship station of Fighting Saints hockey, Dubuque's Super Hits 106.1 FM, starting at 6:50 for the pregame show.

Check out the Dubuque Fighting Saints Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2016


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