DUBUQUE, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (3-1-0-0, 6 pts) scored three times in the second period on their way to a 5-2 win over the Chicago Steel (3-2-0-0, 6 pts) on Friday night.
After Dubuque outshot Chicago 23-6 in the first period, the Saints broke the game open in the middle frame. Early in the period, Gavin Cornforth forechecked a puck free and found Heikki Ruohonen alone in the slot. Ruohonen danced to the net and shot a backhand into a wide open net to put the Saints ahead 2-1.
Following Ruohonen's second goal in as many games, Teddy Merrill found Josh Giuliani for his first goal of the season just 2:01 later. After the halfway-point of regulation, Josh Niedermayer hit Merrill with an outlet pass. Merrill lifted the puck to a streaking Giuliani, who flipped it over Jack Parsons' glove for his second goal of the period.
Giuliani's pair of goals set the Saints up with a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. Dubuque finished the first two periods with a 39-15 advantage in shots, pressuring Parsons the whole way after the Saints fell behind 1:13 into the first.
Luke Malboeuf scored his first goal of the season late in the first period to tie the game after Chicago's opening goal. It was the captain's first of the season and it shifted the momentum into the second period.
Jan Špunar made 20 saves on 22 shots in his USHL debut, including six in the third period as the Saints killed three penalties in the final frame. Špunar made a highlight-reel glove save on one of those penalty kills to keep the Saints ahead 4-2 in the third.
On the final penalty kill of the game, Chicago pulled Parsons for a six-on-four advantage. Michael Barron forced a turnover and took a puck the length of the ice to ice the game with his first of the season into the empty net.
Merrill finished the night with a career-high three assists, while Colin Frank added his fourth assist of the season.
Dubuque has won three-straight contests after falling in the season opener and is back on home ice on Saturday against the Waterloo Black Hawks.
