Black Hawks – Weekend in Review
It was an eventful weekend road trip for Black Hawks, that included a win on Saturday night, along with an overtime loss and a hat trick on Friday night.
Waterloo, technically, still hasn't "lost" this year...as their record stands at 4 wins - 3 Overtime losses - and 1 "Shootout Loss" - they currently are 1 standings point behind the Western Division leading, Tri-City Storm.
The Waterloo Black Hawks recorded their 100th regular season win head-to-head versus the Sioux City Musketeers during the United States Hockey League’s junior era on Saturday, claiming a 4-2 decision at Tyson Events Center.
The teams were both members of the league during the 1979/80 season when the league moved to its current junior format. The rivalry between the clubs dates back to 1972/73 when both teams employed senior players.
A high-flying first period did not include a goal. Sioux City eventually scored first in the middle frame; all three forwards touched the puck on a rush into the zone, capped by Marcus Kallionkieli’s tap-in from above the crease at 1:59.
Sioux City’s lead didn’t quite last seven minutes before Matt Koopman answered. Vladislav Firstov found Koopman in the slot, and the veteran forward fired his shot past Ben Kraws. Waterloo took the lead with 26.4 seconds left before intermission. Joey Cassetti moved the puck to Brock Paul at the left point, then went to the net. With Cassetti setting the screen, Paul’s shot flew past Kraws.
During the third period, the teams exchanged shorthanded goals separated by less than a minute. Wyatt Schingoethe snagged an errant pass near his own blue line and came up the ice with the Musketeers in hot pursuit. Matej Blumel was also pursuing the play and took Schingoethe’s pass to score into an open side. However, a turnover behind the Hawks’ net 56 seconds later led to Martin Pospisil’s answer, created by Bobby Brink.
The one-goal lead carried into the final minute before Hank Sorensen scored into an open goal from deep in his own zone.
Friday night vs. Sioux Falls Stampede - Recap
A natural hat trick by Emil Ohrvall brought the Waterloo Black Hawks back from a sizable second period deficit before the Sioux Falls Stampede claimed a 6-5 overtime win at Sanford Premier Center Friday.
The standings point from the overtime loss gives Waterloo at least one point in each of the first seven games during the 2018/19 regular season and moves the Hawks into a tie for first place in the USHL Western Conference.
Cade Borchardt settled the issue with his second goal of the night, on a wraparound at 4:08 of overtime. The two teams combined for nine shots on goal in just over four minutes of extra time.
Before that, Ohrvall had kept the game alive with two third period Waterloo power play goals. At 3:01, a Xander Lamppa shot hit the post and bounced back to Ohrvall, who fired it in from just outside the crease. He completed the three-goal effort at 18:20, scoring into a wide open net. Griffin Ness controlled the puck into the left circle after it came off the boards, feathering a pass across the slot to Ohrvall in the opposite ring.
Waterloo fell behind early and still trailed by two at the first intermission, despite scoring a couple of goals. By the 5:12 mark of the first, Stampede scores by Lucas McGregor and Jami Krannila established a Sioux Falls lead. The Hawks’ Ryan Drkulec answered in transition on a feed from Matt Koopman at 6:16.
Hawks starting goalie Jared Moe was lifted after a score by Artem Ivanyuzhenkov at 10:10. Waterloo moved back within one at 15:05 – just after a power play – when Ness banged in the rebound of a Mason Palmer shot. However, a rebound score by Borchardt reestablished the two-goal cushion at 16:57.
The Stampede took their largest lead midway through the second when Ryan Johnson’s shot from the left point found its way to the net. However, Johnson’s turnover deep in his own zone with 9.3 seconds left before intermission allowed Ohrvall to score from pointblank range and bring the Hawks back within two.
Black Hawks host the Fargo Force this Friday and Saturday night
The final weekend of October will feature a pair of Black Hawks home games against the Fargo Force. The Friday and Saturday matchups are part of Waterloo’s Hockey Fights Cancer Weekend, presented by Great Clips and the Breast Care Center. The Hawks will wear pink jerseys during both games, which will be auctioned after Saturday’s game, with profits benefiting the Beyond Pink TEAM, an organization which assists cancer patients and survivors in the Cedar Valley. For tickets, call the Domino’s Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680.