Friday's box score
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Teo Besnier's game-winning goal with just over 15 seconds remaining in overtime handed the Dubuque Fighting Saints a 3-2 win over the Tri-City Storm on Friday night at ImOn Arena.
Dubuque (13-4-0, 26 pts) improves to 8-0-0 against Western Conference teams this year. Tri-City's (7-9-3, 17 pts) season-long winless streak extends to five games.
Neither team found the back of the net in a hard fought third period which began with a 2-2 score.
Toward the end of an even-keeled, closely contested overtime, Besnier struck to hand the Fighting Saints their third consecutive victory. As Dubuque possessed the puck in its offensive zone, Besnier received a Michael Barron feed directly in front of Tri-City netminder Michal Pradel. The France native strode toward the right post of the Storm net where he lifted a shot over the downed goaltender to close the contest.
Overtime mimicked much of regulation: tight, evenly balanced, and entertaining.
Dubuque broke the ice late in the first period. In the midst of a Fighting Saints offensive zone possession, a Kris Richards shot from the right point snuck through traffic then went five-hole on Pradel. It was the St. Lawrence commit's second goal of the season.
Tri-City evened the game just over a minute into the second. Off a Luke Dubsky feed, Brecken Smith walked the puck to the Saints' slot and ripped a shot top shelf on Dubuque netminder Owen Crudale for his fourth marker of the campaign.
The Fighting Saints jumped back in front during the middle portion of the second. On a rush, Michael Barron received a Colin Frank pass directly in front of Pradel, then made a backhand-forehand move to sneak the puck around the goaltender's outstretched left pad. It was Barron's first goal since October 18 at Muskegon.
It took the Storm just 30 seconds to answer. Connor Brown fired a shot from the right circle that snuck through Crudale and sat momentarily in the blue paint. Ashton Dahms quickly closed in, tapping the loose puck over the goal line for his fourth tally of the year.
Crudale halted 30 of 32 Storm shots en route to his fifth victory of the season. Pradel, who falls to 6-6-3 on the campaign, halted 25 of 28 Fighting Saints attempts.
Dubuque's Barron (1-1-2) and Melvin Ekman (0-2-2) were the only players with multiple points.
Up next: The Storm and Fighting Saints end their two-game series tomorrow night at ImOn Arena. Puckdrop is set for 7:05 pm. The contest will be broadcast on FloHockey and Storm Radio.
