Dubuque, IA – The Dubuque Fighting Saints (7-6-1-0, 15 pts) host the Muskegon Lumberjacks (6-5-0-2, 14 pts) on Friday night to begin Hometown Heroes Weekend presented by DuTrac at ImOn Arena.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. Hometown Heroes
The Saints host Hometown Heroes Weekend presented by DuTrac with Hometown Heroes Night on Friday to begin the series against Muskegon. The Fighting Saints have excelled at home this season, entering the weekend on a three-game home winning streak.
In the last three games, the Saints have scored 16 goals, sweeping Sioux City two weeks ago and coming from behind in a 6-3 win over Waterloo on Sunday. Overall, the Saints have won four of their last five games at home.
2. Super Start
Goaltender Josh Banini made his Saints debut on Saturday with 39 saves in an overtime loss at Waterloo before making 15 more in his first win for Dubuque at home on Sunday. In Saturday's win, Banini made 12 of his 39 saves in the third period. The stretch helped kill a major penalty before Olle Därth's late equalizer.
In Sunday's 6-3 win, Banini made 12 saves on the final 13 shots he faced to help the Saints erase a 2-0 deficit against Waterloo.
3. Buzzer Beaters
The Saints scored in the final minute of a period twice last weekend against Waterloo as Olle Därth and Kane Johnson tallied late in frames. In Saturday's overtime loss against Waterloo, Därth scored the tying goal with just 30 seconds left in regulation to force overtime with his team-leading seventh goal.
In Sunday's win, Johnson erased the Saints' second deficit of the day with a game-tying goal late in the second period. With just 39 seconds left in the frame, Johnson scored the first of his two goals in the win.
4. Cruz Control
Cruz Martin has points in each of his first three games for the Fighting Saints and scored the first game-winning goal of his USHL career on Sunday in the third period against Waterloo.
In total, Martin has points in four-consecutive games and has six points in his last seven games. Since joining the Fighting Saints, Martin has a plus-three rating and the Saints have a 2-0-1-0 record.
5. Muskegon Minute
Muskegon is the second least-penalized team in the USHL and is third with an 86.8% penalty kill on 38 chances against. The Jacks' 145 penalty minutes are the fewest besides Madison's 143 in the USHL.
The Lumberjacks' goaltending tandem of Oscar Westman and Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz has combined for a .910 save percentage, the fourth-best in the USHL. Leading scorer Zaac Charbonneau is away at the U17 World Hockey Challenge, so the Lumberjacks offense will be without his nine goals and 14 points.
Friday's puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and tickets are available here. The game will be available on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
