CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (2-0-1-1, 5 pts) defeated the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (1-2-0-0, 2 pts) 4-1 on Saturday night, securing the victory with a two-goal third period.

Dubuque hit the ground running on Saturday, launching 20 shots on goal in the opening frame to Cedar Rapids' five. However, they were only able to get one shot past Riders' goaltender Rudy Guimond. That goal was Erik Påhlsson's third of the season, and first of two in the game. He scored again in the third to extend the Dubuque lead from 2-1 to 3-1 with a power-play goal. 

That tally was the Saints' seventh power-play goal of the season in their 16th attempt. They logged another power-play goal earlier in the game when Jake Sondreal put them up 2-0 in the second period. Dubuque's man-advantage scored twice on three chances Saturday night.

A late goal in the second on a Riders' power play made it a one-goal game into the third period before Påhlsson's insurance goal gave the Saints some breathing room.

The Saints' Juraj Pekarcik added even more insurance on a goal off a turnover from Guimond. Pekarcik caught the puck behind the net and banked it off Guimond back into the net to extend the Dubuque lead to 4-1.

In total, Dubuque launched 40 shots on net in the victory, and allowed just 23. Kevin Reidler earned his first-career USHL victory with 22 saves.

Påhlsson's two-goal night was the second-straight game Dubuque had a multi-goal scorer after Gavin Cornforth's two goals on Friday. In their first two games scoring five and eight respectively, the Saints had different goal contributions each time. The last two nights, Påhlsson and Cornforth took charge and ignited the Dubuque offense.

The Saints have earned points in all four contests so far this season and head into a weekend home-and-home with Green Bay next weekend.