General | 3/17/2026 8:12:43 PM

It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without a little luck—and Lucky No. 7 delivered. The Dubuque Fighting Saints held off the Waterloo Black Hawks to capture its seventh straight Cowbell Cup, while the Sioux Falls Stampede cruised past the Fargo Force for its seventh consecutive win.

Dubuque 7, Waterloo 2
Waterloo cut into a three-goal Dubuque lead early in the third, but the Fighting Saints responded with four goals in the final frame to secure a 7–2 win. The victory not only sealed Dubuque’s seventh straight Cowbell Cup but also clinched the Saints’ 15th consecutive playoff berth. Caden Dabrowski led all skaters with a goal and three assists, while Colin Frank and Eetu Orpana notched a pair of goals. Toby Carlson also scored both goals for the Black Hawks.

Sioux Falls 7, Fargo 3
Sioux Falls’ rookie sensation Cooper Soller opened up scoring in the first period with a breakaway goal for his 26th of the year. While Fargo responded instantly with a pair of goals of their own, the Stampede reeled off six unanswered goals to go on and win 7-3 over the Force. Brent Solomon and Thomas Zocco each scored a pair of goals and picked up a lone assist.  

Cedar Rapids 4, Des Moines 3  
Grant Young struck early in the third period for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, tying the game with the Des Moines Buccaneers at 3-3. Defenseman Thomas Corneillie netted the game-winner with under a minute remaining in overtime, lifting the Riders to the win.

Three Stars

1st Star: Caden Dabrowski , F, Dubuque Fighting Saints
1G, 3A, + 2

2nd Star: Thomas Zocco, F, Sioux Falls Stampede
2G, 1A, + 4

3rd Star: Thomas Corneillie, D, Cedar Rapids
1G, OT GWG

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 90% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).