USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Five Different Scorers Push Saints Past Storm, 5-1

Published on November 14, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


KEARNEY, Nebraska - Five different players tallied goals as the Dubuque Fighting Saints started a three-game road trip with a convincing 5-Â-1 win over the TriÂ-"City Storm from the Viaero Events Center in Kearney, Nebraska Wednesday night. Dubuque trailed 1Â-"0 after the first period, but scored twice in the second period and three times in the third to gain the win, and improve to a league best 13Â-"1-Â-1.

Peter Quenneville, A.J. Fossen, Mike Szmatula, Evan Janssen, and Tyler Spezia all scored for Dubuque. The Fighting Saints captured three powerplay goals on the night, and were perfect on the penalty kill en route to the victory.

The Fighting Saints found themselves trailing 1"0 after the game's first frame as the only goal came from Tri-City's Garrett Gamez. The Fighting Saints got caught above the faceoff circles in their own zone and turned the puck over. Gamez found himself low in the slot wide open, and deflected a shot low on the ice past Dubuque goalie Arthur Brey at 15:39. TriÂ-"City outshot Dubuque 15-Â-10 in period one.

In the second period, Dubuque evened the score and started to take over the game. The man-Â-advantage connected on a five-Â-on-Â-three as Peter Quenneville tallied his six goal of the season to tie the game at one. Quenneville accepted a John Stevens cross-Â-ice pass and blasted a oneÂ-"timer past Tri-Â-City goalie Johan Mattsson blocker side at 11:46. Quenneville didn't collect a point last weekend versus Muskegon, but came back strong tonight, tallying a goal and an assist in the win.

The Fighting Saints scored a backbreaking goal and the eventual game winner with under a minute left in the second period to seize the momentum. Dubuque won a defensive zone faceoff and broke up the ice. Kyle McKenzie fed Szmatula on the right side, and Szmatula dished it off to Fossen who directed the puck in for his fourth goal of the season past an outstretched Mattsson. Dubuque took a 2-Â-1 lead at 19:25 of the second and never looked back.

Janssen scored on the powerplay on a tic-Â-"tac-Â-"toe passing play at 2:12 of the third to make it 3-Â-1 Dubuque. Dylan Gambrell passed it from the right side to Janssen who shot a bouncing puck into the open goal for his second goal of the year. At 7:43 the powerplay connected again as a broken play wound up on Szmatula's stick, and the forward banked a puck from the right side off of Mattsson's pad, between his legs, and into the net. The goal was Szmatula's thirteenth of the season and made it 4-Â-1 Fighting Saints. With a goal and an assist, Szmatula now has 25 points and is the leading scorer in the USHL.

The Fighting Saints added the exclamation point to the victory as Spezia potted his first USHL goal late in the contest. After compiling numerous chances on a great shift, Spezia shot the puck from in front of the goal, off Mattsson's body, and into the net. Brandon Carlson setup the play from behind the goal and collected the lone assist on Spezia's tally at 17:14.

Dubuque went three"forÂ-"eight on the powerplay and outshot the Storm 33-Â-27 in the game. Brey made 26 saves in goal and improved to a perfect 9-Â-0-Â-0 on the season. The Fighting Saints are off tomorrow and return to the ice Friday in Lincoln to take on the Western Conference leading Stars. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m. from the Lincoln Icebox. The Fighting Saints will complete a three-Â-game road trip on Saturday in Sioux Falls versus the Stampede at 7:05 p.m. Both games can be heard on Dubuque's Super Hits 106.1 FM.

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United States Hockey League Stories from November 14, 2012


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