Black Hawks Win Game 2 Against Sioux City

Blazing special teams Saturday propelled the Waterloo Black Hawks to a 3-1 victory over the Sioux City Musketeers at Young Arena and to within one win of advancing to the Clark Cup Finals.

Seconds after a first period Sioux City power play came to an end, it was the Musketeers who capitalized on a chance and took the lead at 11:46. Adam Johnson slipped the puck to Bobby Nardella, unmarked in the right circle, and he flipped a shot inside the long side post for the lone goal during the opening frame.

After being turned away on their first five power play chances of the game, the Black Hawks struck for a pair of special teams goals separated by 30 seconds late in the second period. Drew Melanson equalized the contest when a pass from Tyler Sheehy came across the goal mouth from left to right, leaving Melanson with an open side at 19:02. The puck was moving the opposite direction when it caromed to Sheehy, and the Hawks forward fired it past Kyle Hayton for the lead at 19:32. Prior to the power play breakthrough, the Hawks had killed off three shorthanded situations during the second period.

Liam Pecararo added a final power play goal to push Waterloo ahead by a pair at 8:34 of the third. Peter Krieger swept the puck across the slot through traffic, and Pecararo located it below the left circle, flipping it over Hayton’s right shoulder as the goalie moved through the crease. A series of Musketeer penalties during the closing minutes stifled the visitors’ hopes for a comeback.

Petersen turned away 25 of 26 shots for his fifth win of the playoffs. The Hawks goalie and defense denied all six Sioux City special teams opportunities. Waterloo’s volume of power play chances led to 40 shots against Hayton, who made 37 saves.

One night earlier in Game One of the semifinal series, a 3-2 decision had given the Hawks the initial lead in the best-of-five set.

The Hawks-Musketeers series continues with Game Three in Sioux City on Friday at 7:05 p.m.