Dubuque, IA – Joseph Covelluzzi scored late in the third period to break a tie and help the Dubuque Fighting Saints (5-6-0-0, 10 pts) to a 5-3 win over the Sioux City Musketeers (4-6-0-0, 8 pts) on Friday night.

Dubuque led three times on Friday night before Sioux City tied the game for a third time at 6:32 of the third period. The game remained tied for 10 minutes before David Thomasson found a puck in the neutral zone and fed Covelluzzi for a breakaway. Covelluzzi's wrist shot beat Hugo Severgardh to his glove side and gave Dubuque a 4-3 lead with 3:05 left.

The Saints scored the first goal on Friday night as David Blasiak gave the Saints a 1-0 lead with a snap shot at 8:47 of the first. Max Lind and Melvin Ekman assisted to start the scoring. Sioux City responded just about three minutes later as Daniil Butin cashed in on a breakaway goal.

Dubuque took another lead with Thomasson late in the first period after Kane Johnson and Jack Larkin set him up in front of Severgardh.

In the second period, Tucker Johnson scored to tie the game at two as the game approached its halfway mark. Shortly after, the Saints earned their first power-play chance of the night. Melvin Ekman converted for his team-leading sixth of the season by batting a puck out of midair and past Severgardh. Ekman's power-play goal continued a hot stretch for the unit, scoring their seventh power-play goal in the last four games.

Following Covelluzzi's go-ahead goal, Luke Carrithers made two crucial saves in the final minute of regulation. Overall, Carrithers made 19 saves in his fourth win of the season. Dubuque launched 28 shots on goal in the win, with Olle Därth's empty-net goal finishing the night with less than a second remaining.

Dubuque and Sioux City meet again on Saturday to finish the weekend series at ImOn Arena.