Sioux City, IA – The Dubuque Fighting Saints (11-4-0-0, 22 pts) visit the Sioux City Musketeers (6-9-0-1, 13 pts) on Sunday to complete a three-game weekend on the road.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. Bouncing Back
The Saints responded to Friday's loss with a 7-3 win on Saturday, led by four power-play goals. Dubuque tied its season-high for goals in a single period with five in the opening frame of Saturday's victory.
Colin Frank and Melvin Ekman each scored twice in the win, while Ludvig Lafton and Teddy Merrill each assisted on three goals for the Fighting Saints.
2. Frank Flies
Colin Frank logged his second multi-goal game of the season on Saturday, both against Sioux City. Frank scored twice on opening night against the Musketeers and ended a five-game point drought with two goals on Saturday.
Four of the five games without a point for Frank came since his return after missing six games. Saturday, he scored twice for his fourth and fifth goals of the season.
3. Saints Start
Before Friday's loss in Cedar Rapids in which the Saints allowed four first-period goals, Dubuque had allowed six total in the opening frame over its first 13 contests. Friday was the first time Dubuque allowed multiple goals in an opening frame this season.
On Saturday, the team responded with five tallies in the first period. The Fighting Saints have scored the first goal in 11 of their 15 games, winning nine of those 11 contests.
4. Drafted in Dubuque
Utah Mammoth draft pick Ludvig Lafton tied a season-high with three assists in the win on Saturday, finishing the game with 12 helpers this season. The Dubuque blue-liner is tied for the league-lead in points by a defenseman this season.
His nine power-play assists this season are second overall in the USHL, and he has assists in five of his last six contests.
5. Musketeer Madness
The Fighting Saints had seven power plays on Saturday, familiar territory for the Musketeers. Sioux City has been shorthanded 61 times through 16 games this season, the fifth-most in the USHL.
Sioux City's penalty kill entered Saturday's game as the third-best in the USHL at 85.2%, but dropped to 80.3% and ninth in the league with four goals by Dubuque's power play on Saturday.
Sunday's game begins at 3:05 p.m. CST at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. The game is also available on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
