The Dubuque Fighting Saints’ offense is taking off in 2025-26. With the help of Colin Frank, the Fighting Saints are tied for the lead the United States Hockey League in goals scored, which has helped power them to a 36-17-4-0 record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference. 

Frank has taken his game to a new level this season, totalling 30 goals and 22 assists through 47 games played. Frank’s 30 goals lead the Fighting Saints and place him sixth overall in the USHL. 

The 19-year-old forward is in his third season with the Fighting Saints and has seen his role grow in each of the three campaigns with the club. Each season Frank’s point total has risen, recording 15 in his rookie year, 40 in year two and now 52 to this point of the campaign. During an interview last week, Frank spoke about how his game has evolved over his time in Dubuque. 

“When you come from Under-16 into the USHL, it’s a change. There’s a lot of bigger and stronger players, so it’s hard to get playing time,” Frank said. “My rookie year, we had such a good team, so it was hard to get playing time. What helped me was focusing on the mental side, and when you get your chance, you need to be ready for it. The second year was just about building my confidence, and this year I’ve found it and continued to grow my game.” 

Not only has Frank continued to grow on the ice, but his leadership and maturity was reinforced when he was named one of the Fighting  Saints’ assistant captains for the 2025-26 season. Frank touched on what wearing an “A” on his jersey meant to him.

“It is a huge honor. Right from my first year when we made it to the Clark Finals, I learned how much it meant to be a leader on a really good team,” Frank said. “The ability to help some of the younger guys through their first years, it’s a really good feeling for sure.”

Through Frank’s first two seasons, the forward was a part of the Fighting Saints team that fell to the Fargo Force in the Clark Cup and then lost to the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the semi-finals last season. The way the past two seasons ended only fuels Frank for this year's postseason run. 

“I think I’ve had a chip on my shoulder since the first year. It sucked losing in the semi-finals last year, but the want to win is even stronger now,” Frank said. “Winning is a huge accomplishment, so we just have to stay close together as a team through adversity and just believe that we can do it.”

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As for what has made the Fighting Saints’ offense so prolific this season, Frank spoke on the team's ability to make it tough on opponents throughout the league. 

“We like playing fast. We try to break out of our defensive zone, get north and go straight to the net,” Frank said. “We’re trying to hunt pucks down, get shots and have the puck on our stick. Our ability to put the puck in the net has really shown.” 

Over the Fighting Saints’ final five regular-season games, they will face the Force twice, who sit second in the Western Conference and the Lumberjacks twice, who trail the Fighting Saints by five points in the standings. This will give the Fighting Saints a good chance to prepare themselves for the test that playoff hockey brings.

“It’s great because we get to see their style of play. Every game will be a good learning lesson for us,” Frank said. “Some teams change their style for the playoffs, but we are treating every game like playoff hockey. It’s really good for us.” 

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Earlier in the season, Frank represented the United States of America at the World Junior-A Challenge, capturing gold while recording four goals and one assist over five games. The moment of playing for his country was not lost on the California native. 

“It’s a great feeling to wear the USA across your chest. It felt really good to play against all the top countries around the world and beat them out,” Frank. “When playing with such good players, it was important to find a role and do whatever it takes to win. That’s all that matters, and I think it’s helped prepare me coming into the playoffs to win a championship.”

Upon the completion of this season, Frank will be taking his talents to the University of Connecticut to play for the Huskies. Before making the jump to collegiate hockey, Frank spoke about what it would mean to bring home a Clark Cup in his final year of junior hockey. 

“It would be amazing, especially after going through the previous two seasons of adversity,” Frank said. “Knowing I was able to achieve that with my teammates would give me a lot of confidence before heading to UConn.”

Bringing a title back to Dubuque for the fifth time in franchise history would be extra special for Frank due to the great fans who support the Fighting Saints on a nightly basis.

“They are amazing, and they are always into the game,” Frank said. It’s super loud and just a great atmosphere to play in. I have a lot of love for the fans in Dubuque.”

The Fighting Saints are back in action on Friday, March 27, when they travel to Fargo to take on the Force. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. CST.