All four Des Moines Buccaneers goals came from turnovers inside the Waterloo Black Hawks' blue line during a 4-3 Saturday decision at The Rec Plex in West Des Moines.

The end result overshadowed Waterloo's rally from a 3-0 deficit.  The Hawks bring home a 1-2-0 record from three games away from Young Arena to open the 2022/23 season.



The Buccaneers made the Black Hawks pay for a couple of opening period mistakes.  Seconds after a giveaway in the defensive zone at 11:16, Joey Muldowney hit the top corner with a shot over Emmett Croteau's glove.  Then Waterloo lost control near the blue line in the final minute of the period.  With 41.6 seconds to go, Lubomir Kupco's shot from above the left circle was tipped in by Ethan Fredericks.

Another turnover made it 3-0 Des Moines just 13 seconds after intermission.  Henry Bartle cashed in from the left circle.

The Black Hawks turned the tables on the Bucs at 13:57.  That's when Grayson Badger wrenched a puck free and nudged it into the slot.  Gavin Lindberg was waiting and roofed a shot to start a Waterloo rally.

The visitors drew back within a goal during a power play as just 6.1 seconds remained before intermission. Working the puck from the left boards to the right circle, Garrett Schifsky took a couple of strides toward the net before wiring his shot under the crossbar.

Myles Hilman levelled the score at 8:32 of the third.  His attempt from near the top of the left circle changed direction, crossing up goaltender Max Lundgren.

Not quite four minutes later, Muldowney turned a giveaway into a tie-breaking – and decisive – go-ahead goal.  Stealing the puck in the right circle, he snapped in the tally. 

Muldowney finished the night in the penalty box for a hooking with under two minutes to go, but Waterloo could not produce a second special teams conversion.  The Buccaneers held on despite the Hawks' 31-27 edge in shots on goal.

The Black Hawks play at Young Arena for the first time during the regular season next Saturday at 6:05 p.m. when the Tri-City Storm visit.  The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a 2022/23 Black Hawks schedule poster presented by Karen's Print Rite.  Tickets are available now from tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com.

Waterloo 0 2 1 - 3
Des Moines 2 1 1 - 4

1st Period-1, Des Moines, Muldowney 1   11:16. 2, Des Moines, Fredericks 1 (Kupco), 19:19. Penalties-Ruklic Dm (cross checking), 3:18.

2nd Period-3, Des Moines, Bartle 1 (Sigurdson), 0:13. 4, Waterloo, Lindberg 2 (Badger), 13:57. 5, Waterloo, Schifsky 1 (Rinzel, Pionk), 19:53 (PP). Penalties-Klee Wat (roughing), 4:24; Van Rooyan Dm (roughing), 4:24; Hong Wat (charging), 8:34; Klee Wat (tripping), 15:37; Kerr Wat (cross checking), 17:04; Fredericks Dm (roughing), 17:04; Deschenes Dm (hooking), 18:10.

3rd Period-6, Waterloo, Hilman 2   8:32. 7, Des Moines, Muldowney 2   12:14. Penalties-Muldowney Dm (hooking), 18:27.

Shots on Goal-Waterloo 7-17-7-31. Des Moines 12-9-6-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Waterloo 1 / 3; Des Moines 0 / 2.
Goalies-Waterloo, Croteau 1-2-0-0 (27 shots-23 saves). Des Moines, Lundgren 1-1-0-0 (31 shots-28 saves).
A-1,617
Referees-Rocco Stachowiak, Jared Cummins.
Linesmen-Jake Pugh, Aaron Mostrom.