Dubuque, IA – The Dubuque Fighting Saints took a 1-0 series lead over the Muskegon Lumberjacks with a 2-1 win in Game One of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday night.
Friday's playoff-opener was scoreless through the first 50 minutes of play before Melvin Ekman scored on a turnaround wrist shot with 9:18 remaining in regulation. Teddy Merrill and Dante Josefsson-Westling assisted as Dubuque's top line opened the scoring late.
With 1:58 remaining, Lincoln Krizizke sprung Xavier Lieb on a breakaway and Lieb added to the Dubuque lead as the rookies logged their first career playoff points.
The game entered the final 10 minutes scoreless despite offensive opportunities for both teams throughout the game. Overall, goaltender Vojtech Hambálek made 25 saves on 26 shots for the Fighting Saints and helped Dubuque to a perfect night on four penalty-kill chances. The final of those chances came just two minutes after Ekman's ice-breaking goal.
Dubuque had two power plays in the contest and was unable to convert as the Saints finished the game with just 19 shots on goal. Carl Axelsson made 17 saves for Muskegon.
With Axelsson pulled in the final minute, the Lumberjacks' Niles Benson banked a puck past Hambálek to cut the Saints' lead to 2-1 with 51 seconds to play.
Dubuque held on in the final minute to take the 1-0 series lead on home ice. The teams meet again on Saturday night in Dubuque for Game Two of the best-of-five series.
