Waterloo hockey fans will have to wait all the way until Saturday, October 12th for the Black Hawks' home opener at Young Arena vs. Tri-City.

ROLSTON SCORES TWO FOR BLACK HAWKS
Waterloo rallied to force overtime and eventually a shootout Saturday, but the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders had the only conversion for a 5-4 win at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

The final game during the 2019 exhibition schedule was settled on Donte Lawson’s shot in the second round of the shootout. Derek Mullahy turned away all three Black Hawks tries. The only goal of the first period came just 35 seconds after play began. Rolston took the puck out of the left corner and pushed it back to Ethan Szmagaj at the point. Szmgaaj's long wrist shot from just inside the blue line went in just below the crossbar.

Cedar Rapids strung together three straight goals in the second to take the lead. Defensive zone turnovers led to the first two, separated by just over two minutes. Jackson Jutting had the first at 3:41, followed by Justin Hryckowian at 5:57. The third RoughRider score was a breakaway from the red line, which Josh Barnes finished with a backhander at 12:40.

The Black Hawks responded with the final score before intermission as 2:52 remained. Xander Lammpa moved behind the net for a wraparound, pushing the puck to the top of the crease, where Quinn Rudrud spiked it inside the post to the left of Mullahy.

The first power play conversions of the game canceled each other in the early minutes of the third. Grant Silianoff nestled the puck into an open side for Cedar Rapids 28 seconds into the period. However, the two goal lead lasted less than three minutes before Rolston scored in similar fashion on the other end of the ice.

Rolston’s second goal of the period forced overtime at 17:07. His initial shot came fluttering back waist high, and Rolston was able to bat it back into the top corner.

CLOSE THROUGHOUT ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Three un-answered goals in the final half of regulation lifted the RoughRiders past the Black Hawks 3-2 in exhibition action at Young Arena on Friday.

Black Hawks veterans staked the home team to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Not quite two minutes into the game, Kyle Haskins found the net from the left circle during a power play. Griffin Ness added another score with just under three minutes left before intermission, flipping in a back-hander.

The RoughRiders tied it with two in the 2nd, starting their comeback at 11:38 on a goal by Joshua Barnes. Will Francis delivered the equalizer at 18:19.

Grant Silianoff gave the visitors their one and only lead 6:33 into the third, and Cedar Rapids limited the Black Hawks to nine shots in the final frame.

REGULAR SEASON STARTS WITH A TRIP EAST
The team's regular season begins Thursday with a neutral site match-up against Tri-City and a Friday night match-up vs. Fargo in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.

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