Black Hawks Blast RoughRiders, Still Tied for West Lead
A one-goal game broke wide open Saturday as the Waterloo Black Hawks buffeted the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders during a 10-2 victory at Young Arena.
Despite the win, the Black Hawks remained tied for the lead with the Sioux City Musketeers for the lead in the United States Hockey League Western Division. The Musketeers claimed a 2-0 win over the Tri-City Storm. Waterloo (27-12-1)2 has played 42 games. SIoux CIty (25-9-5-2) has played 41 games, and they have a chance to jump back into sole procession of the lead tonight when they play the Sioux Falls Stampede.
Two of Waterloo’s 20 first period shots went in and the Hawks carried a 2-1 lead to intermission. At 12:12, Mason Palmer dented the net when a pass came to him at the top of the left circle; he took a full slapshot a squeezed the puck between Drew DeRidder and the post to the goaltender’s right.
Scott Perunovich answered on a RoughRider takeaway. With the Hawks expecting an icing call, Justin Cole swiped the puck after the whistle didn’t sound, feeding Perunovich for a shot to the top corner at 18:02. However, the Hawks retook the lead in the final minute before intermission. Nick Swaney’s attempt was stopped, but the rebound came right to Shane Bowers, who scored into an open side with 35.1 seconds remaining ahead of the break.
Early in the second, the teams exchanged goals before the Hawks reeled off four in a row. Emil Ohrvall roofed a chance from the left circle after Garrett Klee spun a pass to him from the opposite side of the net at 3:04. Cedar Rapids responded on a Steven Agriogianis five-on-three power play goal from the left circle at 8:07.
Rather than the RoughRiders remaining in power play mode, a slashing call immediately after the goal was scored sent the Hawks on their way to an advantage at the conclusion of a long four-on-four sequence. Just as the power play began, Alex Limoges recorded his first Hawks goal, putting back the rebound of Ohrvall’s initial chance, which had hit the post. Tallied at 9:39, it sent Waterloo rolling the rest of the way.
Garrett Wait scored in a delayed penalty situation on a rebound at 11:22. Mikey Anderson caught the RoughRiders in a change and rifled in a low shot at 12:58. Kevin Charyszyn lifted in one more at 15:38 just after an additional power play ended.
In the third, the Hawks sent three more past relief netminder Zack LaRocque. Swaney squeezed a shot to the back of the net from below the extended goal line at 7:30. Ohrvall became the game’s only multiple goal-scorer, pushing in a rebound at 16:42. The Swedish forward claimed his fourth point of the night with an assist on Ethan Johnson’s transitional tally with 19.2 seconds to go.
Hawks goaltender Peter Thome – who assisted on Anderson’s second period goal – recorded 19 saves to win his Waterloo debut.
The scoring performance surpassed a 9-5 win against the Sioux Falls Stampede on October 15th as Waterloo’s most productive effort of the season.
The Hawks’ next game is Tuesday night when the team makes a Valentine’s Day visit to the Green Bay Gamblers at the Resch Center.