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USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Playoff Bound! Fighting Saints Punch Ticket, Top Hawks

March 19, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa "" With a third-period comeback similar to Thursday night's win over Bloomington, the Dubuque Fighting Saints erased an early deficit, and scored three goals in the third period to defeat the Waterloo Black Hawks 5-2 on Saturday night. The win wrapped up a three-game weekend, and it punched the Fighting Saints' ticket into the Clark Cup playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Mitchell Smith started the third period with the game-winning goal. The elder Smith twin took a pass from Willie Knierim, breaking down the right wing and sliding a pass through the crease to the open side, and into the goal, to put the Fighting Saints up 3-2 at the 8:42 mark of the third period.

Just 11 seconds later, following the next faceoff, Nathan Sucese pounced on a turnover, and buried his team-leading 22nd goal into the net through Cale Morris. That goal pulled Dubuque ahead by two, and for good. Especially once Petter Mäkitalo found the back of the net with an empty-netter with 11 seconds to go in the game.

Ryan Lohin stoked Waterloo to a 2-0 lead, first scoring on a broken play at the side of the goal five minutes into the first period, and once more on an odd-man rush to begin the second period. The Hawks dominated the first period, outshooting the Saints 12-8. The rest of the way, however, the Fighting Saints outshot Waterloo 19-11, and outscored them heavily.

Gordie Green started the comeback trail, the beginning of five unanswered goals by the home team, by taking a nifty feed in the neutral zone from Shane Kavanagh late in the second period. Green pulled a shake-and-bake to the forehand, which faked out Morris, and Green deposited the puck into the goal to cut the lead to one.

Just moments later on a Waterloo bench minor for too many men on the ice, Spenser Young sent Morris' water bottle flying with a roof shot to the shelf, pulling the Fighting Saints even with the Black Hawks. Green set him up in the high slot, and Young turned a shot to the goal with an open lane to shoot.

Hunter Miska pulled within one win of Jacob Nehama's club record of 29 wins in a season by making 21 stops on Saturday night. In the process, he also added an assist on Mäkitalo's empty net goal. It was his third assist of the season.

The fight for playoff positioning begins, and it starts on Friday, March 25 when the Bloomington Thunder come to town for Stanley Cup Night, sponsored by Dubuque Fire Equipment. Join the Fighting Saints as the Stanley Cup will be in Our House for the first time ever. For tickets to this special, one-of-a-kind night, call the box office at 563.583.6880, or go online to DubuqueFightingSaints.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 19, 2016


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