Dubuque Eliminated, Chicago Advances to USHL Clark Cup Finals
On Saturday night, the Dubuque Fighting Saints looked to stay alive in the hunt for the USHL Clark Cup trophy, but it was the Chicago Steel who ended those dreams.
Trailing 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals 'best-of-five' series, the Fighting Saints needed some home ice magic to force a Game 5. Two goals from Chicago's Eduards Tralmaks and 28 saves from Ales Stezka dashed any hopes Dubuque had. Chicago prevailed 7-3 on Saturday.
Chicago jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period. Eduards Tralmaks opened the scoring at 9:53. Then Jack Badini, who leads post season scoring with 13 points, netted a short-handed goal at 11:11.
It was an active second period for the scorekeeper. Dubuque answered 5:18 into the second when Dallas Gerads slipped one past Chicago's goalie. Reggie Lutz pushed Chicago back up by two with a goal one minute and one second later. Dubuque's Michael Boyle made it 3-2 (Chicago lead) at 13:01, but two more goals Chicago's Baker Shore (18:00) and Brannon McManus (19:00) to close out the second stole any momentum that the Fighting Saints had gained.
Tralmarks added a second goal to his tally in the third. Dubuque did score one more time, but they never could close the gab.
The Chicago Steel will face either the Waterloo Black Hawks of the Anderson Cup winning Sioux City Musketeers. That Western Conference Final now moves to a Game 5 Tuesday night in Sioux City.