MUSKEGON, MI - The Dubuque Fighting Saints clinched their fourth Tier-I Conference Title with a 4-0 win on Thursday night in Muskegon and advanced to the Clark Cup Finals with a 3-0 series win.
After outshooting the Jacks 15-3 in the first period, the Saints didn't break a scoreless tie until nearly the halfway point in regulation. Lucas St. Louis tried to find James Reeder on a back-door pass, but it bounced off a Muskegon defenseman and into the net.
At 12:09 of the second, Josh Giuliani scored his first of two tallies in the game to put the Saints ahead 2-0 into the third.
With Kevin Reidler perfect on 21 shots in the game, the Saints added two insurance goals in the third period to build a 4-0 lead. Giuliani scored a rebound goal before Gavin Cornforth's first of the playoffs put the Saints further ahead.
The shutout was Reidler's third of the playoffs and the Saints' sixth-straight win.Â
Dubuque clinched its fourth Clark Cup Finals appearance in Tier-I Franchise history with the sweep over the Jacks. The Fighting Saints last played in the Clark Cup Finals in 2016, but fell to Tri-City.
The Fighting Saints will take on the winner of the Sioux City and Fargo Western Conference Finals series which Sioux City currently leads 2-1.
