Bears Defeat Dairy Kings, Win 7-2 on the Road

The Fond du Lac Bears rolled into Verona Ice Arena on Saturday night with a purpose, cruising to a decisive 7-2 victory over the Dane County Dairy Kings. Led by strong offensive showings from Nick Sirota and Jordan Foster, the Bears took control early and kept the pressure on through all three periods, outshooting the Dairy Kings 53-38. Justin Davidson was a wall in net, saving 36 of 38 shots for a .947 save percentage, helping the Bears secure their first road win and first GLHL win this season.

The Bears wasted no time establishing their dominance in the first period, with rookie Josh Austin opening the scoring at 18:17, assisted by Sirota and Ryan Sabel. Although the Dairy Kings quickly responded with a goal from Phil Bushbacher, Fond du Lac took charge from there. Sirota buried his first of two goals just a minute later, regaining the lead, while Jordan Foster and Dillon Fox each netted a goal before the period closed. 

The second period saw Dane County pushing back, putting up 19 shots on Davidson. Early in the period, Bryan Robinson managed to sneak one in unassisted to cut the Bears’ lead to two. Despite some defensive hiccups, Fond du Lac kept their focus and relied on Davidson’s stellar play between the pipes. Several penalties punctuated the period, but neither team managed to capitalize, leaving the score at 4-2 heading into the third.

In the final period, the Bears closed the door on any hopes of a Dairy Kings comeback. Taking advantage of a power play, Foster scored his second of the night at 16:42, with Fox assisting. Less than ten minutes later, Sirota struck again, assisted by Sabel, followed shortly by Connor Martin's first goal of the evening to bring the Bears’ total to seven. The Bears peppered Dairy Kings’ goaltender Max LeClaire with 21 shots in the period, ensuring a decisive win as Davidson shut down the Dairy Kings’ remaining attempts.

The Bears next game sees them back on the road Friday as they will face the Sun Prairie Killer Bees. The Bears are back home on Saturday, November 16 against the Dairy Kings.