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USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Thunder Pull Away, Best Fighting Saints

March 25, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa - Powered by two goals from Vladislav Dzhioshvili, and three second-period goals overall, the Bloomington Thunder clinched a playoff spot with a 5-3 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the Mystique Community Ice Center on Friday night.

Dzhioshvili slammed home a netmouth scramble to extend a Bloomington lead to 3-1 in the second period, and then eventually the final goal the Thunder would score, a snap shot from the slot, to put the visitors up 5-3.

The Fighting Saints continually battled back from continual deficits. Shane Kavanagh answered Steven Merl's late first period goal with a tally of his own in the second period to tie the game. It was Kavanagh's seventh point in the month of March. Six minutes later, though, after a great chance for the Fighting Saints, Sean Harrison fired a shot from the right wing that found a way into the net to put Bloomington up by one.

Dzhioshvili's first goal of the game, followed by Jake Slaker's late power play goal, put Bloomington up 4-1 at the second intermission. Brett Boeing scored his first goal since February 5, his fourth goal of the season, to cut Bloomington's lead in half at the time in the third period.

With the Stanley Cup in the house, the Fighting Saints played Bloomington even throughout the opening period until, with one minute remaining, Steven Merl took a Patrick Curry dish out of the far corner, and ripped a wrist shot through the five hole of Jaxon Castor, who got the start in net for Dubuque. That put Bloomington up 1-0, and from that point on, they never trailed.

Castor made 22 stops in defeat for Dubuque. For Bloomington, Logan Halladay got the nod in goal for the second consecutive game, and, while he allowed a late goal to Nathan Sucese with less than a minute to go, he put forth a 28-save effort en route to the win.

Up next for the Fighting Saints is a home tussle with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, the first of three games in a row against the in-state rival. Be ready to toss packaged underwear onto the ice after the Fighting Saints' first goal for Captain Underpants Night. Puck drop is at a special holiday time of 6:05 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at 563.583.6880, or by going online to DubuqueFightingSaints.com today.

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2016


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