Sunday's USHL Clark Cup Playoff action saw Dubuque and Fargo grabs win in Game 1
The USHL Clark Cup Playoffs Conference Finals got underway on Sunday, with the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Fargo Force earning a pair of Game 1 victories in their respective series.
Despite seeing its two-goal lead evaporate in the third period, Dubuque scored less than five minutes into the overtime period to secure the victory.
Meanwhile, Fargo scored three unanswered goals from three different players and outshot the Sioux City Musketeers 35-22 in its 3-1 win.
Let's go to the takeaways from Sunday's USHL playoff action.
Jubenvill Nets OT Winner
Dubuque flexed its depth in the overtime period. Beckett Hendrickson, Noah Powell, Jake Sondreal, or Erik Pahlsson would have been great guesses as to who might score the game-winner.
Instead, it was defenseman Jayden Jubenvill taking a puck to the net and firing it past Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Leading up to the dramatics, Dubuque scored three times in the first period.
Gavin Cornforth opened the scoring on a 2-on-1 rush in transition. Fisher Scott cleaned up a loose puck on the side of the cage just over two minutes later. Teddy Merrill walked the puck in along the left wing before rifling a shot into the Muskegon net.
Trailing 3-1 entering the third period, the Lumberjacks engineered a furious comeback, much like in Game 5 of the Conference Semifinals.
Cody Croal brought Muskegon back within a goal at the 6:11 mark of the frame, and Jack Galanek tied it less than six minutes later.
Dubuque netminder Kevin Reidler stopped 27 of 30, including a sprawling blocker save in the overtime period moments before Jubenvill scored the game-winning goal.
Fargo Cruises Past Sioux City
The Force are the only team yet to lose a playoff game after earning a 3-1 victory in Game 1 against Sioux City.
The Musketeers opened the scoring on Owen Keefe's shot from the point, which sailed through traffic and found the back of the net.
However, Fargo responded quickly on Mac Swanson's one-timer from the right-wing circle off a beautiful feed from Zam Plante. With the goal, Swanson now has eight points in four postseason games.
The goal would be the first of three unanswered for the Anderson Cup Trophy winners as Brandon Svoboda doubled up Fargo's lead in the second period after batting a puck out of mid-air.
Michael La Starza connected a goal from near the blue line early in the third period to give Fargo a 3-1 advantage.
Force goaltender Hampton Slukynsky locked it down after surrendering the game's first goal. The Los Angeles Kings draft pick stopped 21 of 22 overall.