Dubuque, IA – The Dubuque Fighting Saints (25-10-2-0, 52 pts) erased a two-goal deficit to win 4-2 over the Sioux Falls Stampede (21-13-2-0, 48 pts) on Friday night.
The Saints' win started with Charlie Arend's best friend, Quinn, surprising him with a ceremonial puck drop ahead of the game. Quinn is battling cancer and was on hand for the Saints' first game of Stick it to Cancer Weekend. Arend wore the 'C' as team captain for the first time in his career during the contest.
Despite a quick start on the ice, the Fighting Saints found themselves behind 2-0 early in the second period. The Saints clawed back, led by a shorthanded goal by Dante Josefsson-Westling. It was the forward's third shorthanded goal of the season and 11th overall.
At 13:59 of the second and just 1:37 after Josefsson-Westling's goal, Kris Richards tied the game for Dubuque from Michael Barron and Colin Frank.
With 8:36 left in regulation, Frank gave the Saints their first lead of the game. Barron and Arend assisted to put Dubuque ahead. Barron's pair of assists extended his point streak to 13, the longest in the USHL this season. Barron has 25 points over those 13 contests.
Two minutes after Frank's game-winner, Teddy Merrill added insurance with his team-leading 22nd of the season on a dazzling drive to the net.
The Fighting Saints held Sioux Falls to 22 shots on Friday, more than 16 below the Stampede's season average. Vojtech Hambálek made 20 saves in his 18th win of the season.
Dubuque's shorthanded goal was the only special-teams goal of the contest, with Dubuque killing all three Stampede power plays and going scoreless on two chances.
The teams meet again on Saturday night in Dubuque to finish the season series at 7:05 p.m.
