Saints Maintain Hot Start With Win Over Lumberjacks
Published on October 17, 2025 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
Muskegon, MI - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (8-0-0-0, 16 pts) skated to a 5-2 victory over the Muskegon Lumberjacks (7-2-0-0, 14 pts) on Friday night to extend a season-opening winning streak to eight.
Facing just their second deficit of the season early in the second period, the Fighting Saints leveled the score with a Dante Josefsson-Westling breakaway goal. Josefsson-Westling forced a Muskegon turnover and finished the breakaway opportunity to tie the game at one. The Saints' deficit lasted two minutes, making their total time trailing in games this season to 10:01.
Later in the period, the Saints' fourth line went to work in the Muskegon end to combine for a Hayden Russell goal to give the Saints a lead that they never relinquished. Gavin Lock and Xavier Lieb set up Russell's goal to give the Saints their first lead.
Josefsson-Westling's goal started a four-goal surge by Dubuque in the contest. Lock drove to the net and scored the third for the Saints in the final frame. The goal was originally not awarded, but a Dubuque challenge overturned the call to give the Saints a 3-1 lead. A few minutes later, Cooper Conway crashed the net to pot a rebound for his fourth of the season.
Vojtěch Hambálek made 27 saves in his fifth win of the season, keeping his record unblemished thus far. Hambálek's save percentage through his first five USHL games to .923.
Dubuque continued its third-period success in the win over Muskegon, outshooting the Lumberjacks 16-10 and scoring twice. Dubuque now has a plus-14 goal differential in the third period of games this season.
The Saints won their eight-straight game to start the season, the second-longest streak to start a season in team history. The 2012-13 Fighting Saints team began the season with nine-consecutive victories.
Dubuque returns to the ice on Saturday in Muskegon in another matchup with the Lumberjacks, finishing the weekend series.
United States Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2025
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- Steel Hang on Late for 5-4 Win Over RoughRiders - Chicago Steel
- Saints Maintain Hot Start With Win Over Lumberjacks - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Herd Defeat Musketeers with Five Different Goal Scorers - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Storm Use Come from Behind Effort to Snag 3-2 Friday Night Victory in Omaha - Tri-City Storm
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- Stars Take Weekend Opener - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Stars Best Black Hawks, 2-0 - Lincoln Stars
- League Launches Host Process for Future Events - USHL
- Tri-City Adds Ivan Fenes as Assistant Coach - Tri-City Storm
- Gamblers Complete the Weekend Split against the Waterloo Black Hawks - Green Bay Gamblers
- Tri-City Pays Visit to Omaha on Friday Night - Tri-City Storm
- Steel Name Tyler Haskins General Manager - Chicago Steel
- Fighting Five: Saints Open Series at Muskegon - Dubuque Fighting Saints
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