Middleton, WI – The Dubuque Fighting Saints (25-12-2-0, 52 pts) fell 5-2 to the Madison Capitols (21-14-0-3, 45 pts) on Sunday afternoon.
The Fighting Saints fell behind 4-0 in Sunday's game allowing late goals in each of the first two periods to face a large deficit. Despite some early saves by Vojtech Hambálek, Dubuque allowed multiple quality chances in front of its goaltender.
Hambálek faced 29 shots in the loss, stopping 25 in just his eighth loss over 27 games. The first came from Sammy Smith with just over nine minutes left in the first period before a Sam Kappell rebound shot put the Caps up two in the last five minutes of the period.
Dubuque put 12 pucks on goaltender Brady Krey in the first, but couldn't beat the Madison netminder. In the second, with just under five minutes left, Lucas Prud'homme scored the first of two Madison goals over 3:21 late in the period.
Dubuque got some late momentum in the second period when Colin Frank and Teddy Merrill set up Masun Fleece's 19th goal of the season with just 17 seconds left. The goal came right from a faceoff and Dubuque trailed by three into the final period.
Early in the third, Frank and Michael Barron used a quick-passing play to set up Charlie Arend for a power-play goal to bring the Saints within two after five minutes.
Despite a third-period push for Dubuque with 14 shots, the Caps added insurance with Caleb Pittsley at 12:31 and held the Saints off the board in the final minutes.
Dubuque had two power-play opportunities after pulling Hambálek with just under five minutes left in regulation, but failed to convert to draw closer in the game.
The Saints return to action on Friday at home against Cedar Rapids, before a road matchup in Green Bay on Saturday.
