USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Saints End Roadtrip with 2-1 Shootout Win Friday

Published on February 8, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -A seven game roadtrip came to an end Friday night in Cedar Rapids, and the Dubuque Fighting Saints couldn't be happier about the results. The Fighting Saints went 6-0-1 over the last three weeks away from home, and earned a Prairie Farms Cowbell Cup victory Friday night, topping the RoughRiders 2-1 in a shootout at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in front of 3,082.

The evening was a goaltending duel between Michael Rotolo of Cedar Rapids and Arthur Brey of Dubuque. The contest was Brey's first since January 5, an 8-2 win versus Green Bay at the Mystique Community Ice Center. Brey had missed Dubuque's last nine games with a concussion suffered in a minor car accident on January 10. Despite the time off, Brey came into this weekend as the USHL's top statistical netminder and made several key saves to propel Dubuque to the victory. Rotolo was making his RoughRider debut after being traded from Green Bay earlier this week. The Cedar Rapids goalie kept him team in the game, as the Fighting Saints outshot the RoughRIders 41-19 on the night. Both goalies kept the game scoreless through one period.

The second period saw the deadlock broken as the two team's traded powerplay goals just forty seconds apart. Mike Szmatula opened the scoring for Dubuque, giving the Fighting Saints a 1-0 lead for the sixth straight game at 7:56 of period two. The forward accepted a pass from Jeff Taylor and walked the puck off the right wing side halfboards and roofed a shot that found its way through a screen over Rotolo and off the crossbar for his 29th goal of year.

Less than a minute later, the RoughRiders tied the game on the man advantage as Jack Rowe scored his 12th goal of the season on an odd-man rush. Dubuque came up the ice shorthanded on a two-on-one, but Shane Sooth's pass to Jarrid Privitera was intercepted and sprung the RoughRiders on a four-on-two into the Dubuque zone. A pass from the right wing to the left wing setup Rowe for a one-timer, which he blasted over Brey's blocker at 8:36.

The second and third period was filled with penalties, and neither team converted on the man advantage. Dubuque went 1-for-8 on the powerplay and Cedar Rapids was 1-for-7 on the evening. The Fighting Saints had numerous chances late in the game, including a faceoff play with just second remaining in regulation that saw a Szmatula shot denied by Rotolo, only to have a big rebound come to Dubuque's Taylor, but the blueliner couldn't convert and the game went to overtime.

Taylor had the most significant chance in overtime, ringing a wrist shot off the post after walking down the right wing. With neither team scoring, the game headed to a shootout.

Dubuque's Szmatula started the shootout and was denied on a shot low on the ice by Rotolo. Gerald Mayhew shot next for Cedar Rapids and lifted a wrist shot over Brey's shoulder to put the RoughRiders up 1-0. In round two, Peter Quenneville evened the score, faking a slapshot, getting Rotolo to bite, and deking around Rotolo and sliding a shot in five-hole. Brey stopped Andrew Poturalski, and Sooth scored in round three with his patented move to give the Fighting Saints the lead. Sooth cut down the right wing and cut to the middle, firing a shot over Rotolo's blocker to give Dubuque the 2-1 shootout advantage. Brey stopped Dylan Steman, forching the RoughRider forward to shoot the puck wide on the blocker side to give Dubuque the win.

With the victory, the Fighting Saints improve to 4-0-0 versus the RoughRiders this season and are now 4-2-1 in Prairie Farms Cowbell Cup play this season.

The Fighting Saints return home tomorrow night for a 7:05 p.m. game versus the Waterloo Black Hawks. The evening is Vegas Night, as What Happens at Our House, Stays at Our House. Seats are going fast and a large crowd is expected, but fans can get tickets for the game by calling 563.583.6880 or visiting DubuqueFightingSaints.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2013


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