Black Hawks Get Two More Wins Over The Weekend

Waterloo is off to a great start for the 2019/20 season winning close games and making exciting come-backs!

Waterloo wins a another close one
Logan Stein made one goal stand up on Saturday, and the Black Hawks won their first game at Young Arena this season, 1-0 against the Tri-City Storm.

Stein stopped 26 shots for the second shutout of his USHL career. His effort early in the game was particularly notable; the Storm recorded six of the first seven shots during the game, all coming within the first four minutes of action.

Waterloo’s penalty-killing was also commendable. The Hawks denied all six Storm power plays, including a four minute double-minor against Ethan Szmagaj during the early minutes of the third.

Nonetheless, Saturday’s only goal still came during a Storm power play. Twenty seconds into the second period, Waterloo’s Patrick Guzzo seized control of the puck near his own blue line before rushing up the rink into the Tri-City end. Dodging a sliding Storm defender, Guzzo slipped a pass to Connor Caponi moving into the left circle. Caponi snapped his chance past Daniel Allin, who stopped Waterloo’s other 29 shots during the game. It was the second consecutive night Caponi opened a game with a short-handed goal

Hawks win a comeback Friday night
The Black Hawks scored three times in the last 11 minutes of regulation to stun the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 4-3 Friday at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

The wild finish began to take shape at 9:12 with the Hawks down 3-1. Ryan Drkulec attempted a back-handed wrap-around. The puck came off his stick but went to Xander Lamppa between the circles, and Lamppa fired the puck home. The RoughRiders had the opportunity to re-establish a two-goal lead minutes later when Drkulec went to the penalty box. However, Waterloo killed the power play, and Drkulec came back to the ice to receive a pass from Connor Caponi, springing him on a breakaway. Drkulec got goalie Derek Mullahy down before flipping in a back-hander to tie it at 14:23. Then with 41 seconds to go, Kyle Haskins got his own rebound near the side of the net; Mullahy was on his seat when Haskins flipped in his follow-up shot.

For the fourth time in four games this season, the Black Hawks had scored the first goal. For the second consecutive game, it was Caponi who provided the goal. The Hawks were short-handed at 7:17 of the opening period when Ethan Szmagaj came into the offensive zone, two-on-two. His shot from the right circle was stopped, but was re-directed back between the pipes by Caponi from just outside the crease.

Back at home in Partytown this Saturday night
The Hawks are now idle until next Saturday’s game against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Fans can enjoy a Hy-Vee Family Four-Pack for $48, including four tickets, four sodas, four Hy-Vee entrees (brats or mac and cheese), and more. The first 1,000 in attendance will also receive a 2019/20 Black Hawks schedule poster. For tickets, call the box office at (319) 291-7680.