DUBUQUE, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (16-7-0-0, 32 pts) scored 41 seconds into overtime on Friday night in a 4-3 win over the Waterloo Black Hawks (10-7-3-4, 27 pts) to begin a home-and-home series.

Matthew Desiderio extended his career-long point streak to seven games with his seventh goal of the season early in overtime to give the Saints their third win over Waterloo this season. The goal came at the end of the opening-shift of overtime in which Desiderio, Gavin Cornforth and Heikki Ruohonen managed the puck in the Waterloo zone. Both teammates earned assists for Desiderio's tally.

Dubuque forced overtime with Cooper Dennis' fifth goal of the season to tie the game at 8:53 of the third period. Dennis blasted in a back-door feed from Michael Barron after Cornforth started a rush. It was Barron's second of two assists and Cornforth's first of a pair of helpers.
Dennis' fourth point in the last three games erased the first, and only, deficit of the game for Dubuque. The Saints scored their annual Teddy Bear Toss goal to open the scoring with Colin Frank's fourth at 10:24 of the first. The goal came unassisted with Frank earning a short-handed breakaway and converting to open the scoring.

The Hawks answered just 24 seconds later on the same power-play chance to tie the game at one. Early in the second, the Saints converted just after their first of three unsuccessful power plays ended with Charlie Arend's third of the season. Arend's first shot was stopped, but Barron forced the rebound free and Arend scored to put the Saints ahead for the second time. A turnover just about four minutes later led to a Waterloo wraparound goal and the game was tied at two entering the third.

In the third, Dubuque fell behind at 3:27 to trail for the first time in the game before Dennis' tally helped force overtime. 

Jan Špunar made 24 saves in his 10th win of the season, including a highlight-reel glove save just before Frank's short-handed tally.

Dubuque and Waterloo meet to finish their home-and-home series on Saturday night in Waterloo.