USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Spicer's OT GWG Snaps Saints' Skid

Published on February 16, 2025 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, IA - Cole Spicer played the hero in overtime and nearly doubled his season goal count to help give the Fighting Saints a 4-3 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers at ImOn Arena on Saturday night. The Fighting Saints (30-13-0-1, 61 PTS) were the beneficiaries of a Buccaneers (18-23-3-0, 39 PTS) goaltender interference penalty in the extra session, and Spicer scored the game-winner just 20 seconds into the ensuing power play.

It took the Fighting Saints a little while to find its legs Saturday night. Dubuque scored the first goal - a deflection off of the skates of a Des Moines defender in the high slot - but were held to just three shots on goal in the whole period. Blake Zielinski tied things up for Des Moines with 7:51 to play, and that's how the first period ended.

Once the second period began, the Fighting Saints took control of the game. The rest of the way in regulation, Dubuque outshot the Bucs 29-6. However, they allowed a goal in both the second and third periods. The Bucs took advantage of a Saints turnover on its second goal. Bucs forward Brittan Alstead buried a 2-on-1 feed from Ben Kevan to give Des Moines a 2-1 lead. Fortunately, the Saints didn't stop scoring either. Dominant the whole second period, the Saints turned the pressure into the game's tying goal with just 22 seconds left on Spicer's first goal of the game: a deflection out front on a shot-pass from captain Luke Malboeuf.

In the third, the Saints cashed in on the power play to take a 3-2 lead on Michael Barron's 17th goal of the season. With the way the game had been going, it felt like that was going to be enough. But, Gavin Cornforth took the Saints' first, and only, penalty of the game. On the power play that followed, Bucs forward Jack Kernan cranked a one-timer home to tie the score up at three. The Bucs survived to the end of regulation with the score tied at three.

The overtime began with plenty of back-and-forth action with both teams getting opportunities to try and win it. Then, a drive to the net by the Bucs' Peyton Blair ended with him crashing into Saints goaltender Liam Beerman, and a penalty was called. That's when Spicer did his thing to give the Saints the win, set up by Lucas Van Vliet. Spicer started the game with only three goals all season long. He left the game with five, including his first game-winning goal of the season.

Beerman moved to an impressive 11-1-0-1 on the season, stopping 18 of 21 Des Moines shots in the win.

The Saints are back in action Sunday afternoon at 3:05 pm CST for a rematch with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders. Fans can listen to the game live on Eagle 102.3 or catch it all live on FloHockey.

Check out the Dubuque Fighting Saints Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2025


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