DUBUQUE, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (36-14-1-2, 75 pts) erased a two-goal deficit on Friday in a 5-3 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers (21-30-4-0, 46 pts).

After going ahead 1-0 for the 11th-straight game, the Saints fell behind by the end of the first with three Des Moines goals in 4:34 late in the opening frame. Colin Frank's first of two goals opened the scoring before a power-play goal by Jack Kernan started the Des Moines rally.

Kernan's second put the Bucs in front 3-1 with 1:33 left in the first and sent the Saints to the intermission down by a pair.

After a Josh Niedermayer goal and three successful penalty kills between the second period and first 54 seconds of the third period, the Saints regained momentum. Frank's second of the game from Jonathan Morello and Gavin Cornforth tied the game at 2:44 of the third and kickstarted a third-period rally for Dubuque.

Josh Giuliani scored his 19th of the season four seconds into the Saints' second power-play of the third period, putting Dubuque back in front. Edison Engle assisted against his former team after Cole Spicer started the play with a faceoff win. After four-straight power plays for Des Moines to open the game, Dubuque's first two came early in the third, with Giuliani's sixth power-play goal of the year.

In his 100th-career USHL game, Charlie Arend deflected a Teddy Merrill shot for insurance at 12:42 of the third and the Saints held the 5-3 lead the rest of the way.

Jan Špunar logged his 23rd win of the season with the victory on Friday night as the Saints took their sixth win in the eighth-and-final matchup against Des Moines this season.

Dubuque is back in action on Saturday in Waterloo, looking to extend a perfect record against Waterloo and a seven-game point streak.