Van Vliet's Career Night Leads Saints to Big Win
November 16, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
WEST DES MOINES, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (12-5-0-0, 24 pts) ended a two-game skid with a 7-2 road-win over the Des Moines Buccaneers (5-10-0-0, 10 pts) on Friday night.
Lucas Van Vliet started the scoring for the Fighting Saints and kept scoring, finishing with a career-high four points on a pair of goals and a pair of assists. Van Vliet opened the scoring at 8:54 of the first with a quick release on a rush for his sixth goal of the season.
Less than three minutes after the Bucs tied the game 44 seconds into the second, the Saints scored twice in 1:13 and scored three unanswered goals to open a 4-1 lead. The first of those came on a power-play goal by Matthew Desiderio, his fourth of the season and third on the power play. Josh Giuliani recorded his first of three assists on the goal and helped put the Saints back in front just 2:16 after the tying goal by Des Moines.
Shortly after, Dryden Allen set up Michael Barron for a low-angle one-timer that found the net for Barron's first of two goals in the game. Barron joined Giuliani with a three-point night, adding the Saints' final goal of the night on a power-play blast. Barron leads the team with eight goals and 14 points.
Dubuque's special teams dominated on Friday night, scoring on both power plays and stopping all three Des Moines power-play chances.
Ritter Coombs and Teddy Merrill each added their second goals of the season in a four-goal second period by Dubuque. The Saints have outscored Des Moines 9-2 combined in the second period this season.
Goaltender Jan Špunar made 27 saves on 29 shots in his seventh win of the season, allowing three goals-or-less for the seventh-consecutive game. He is second in the USHL with a .926 save percentage.
Van Vliet assisted on Desiderio's power-play goal and Barron's first tally in the second period, before adding his second goal early in the third to cap his four-point night.
The Fighting Saints return home on Saturday to finish the home-and-home series with the Buccaneers and host Military Appreciation Night.
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