The Waterloo Black Hawks opened a challenging weekend by protecting home ice Friday with a 4-2 Young Arena victory over the Sioux City Musketeers.
Waterloo never trailed in the contest, thanks in large part to a successful penalty kill during the late second and early third periods. Zach Bade was given a five-minute high sticking penalty with about a minute-and-a-half left before intermission. Two of the best chances during the special teams segment were shorthanded Black Hawks opportunities: first a Garrett Schifsky breakaway, then a rush by Aaron Pionk.
The five-minute kill preserved a two-goal Hawks lead.
Griffin Erdman's terrific defensive play had set up the only goal of the first period. Erdman sprawled to push a loose puck across the defensive blue line and out to center. Gavin Lindberg picked it up, weaving into the Musketeer zone and beating Axel Mangbo with a long, low shot to the stick side at 11:36.
Sioux City tied the contest in the second with a conversion on their first power play of the game. A pass from beside the net pinballed and trickled between the posts, with the goal credited to Tyler Hotson at 2:38.
Waterloo's response was swift; the Hawks retook the lead less then a minute later, then added to their margin, still within a minute of Sioux City's goal. Myles Hilman produced the go-ahead score at 3:13, beating Mangbo cleanly on a long shot from above the right circle. Then 17 seconds later, Waterloo capitalized on a two-on-one. Caden Brown gave the puck to Gavin O'Connell, who returned it from right to left, leaving Brown an open side to fire in his first Hawks goal.
O'Connell and Brown were involved again on Waterloo's fourth goal at 12:03 of the third. Brown swiped a failed clearing attempt, feeding James Hong for a blast from the left circle. O'Connell was camped at the edge to the crease to flick the rebound inside the post when it came right to his stick blade.
Easton Zueger fired in Sioux City's final goal with 45.5 seconds left, capitalizing from above the right circle.
The Hawks are on the road for the rest of this weekend. Waterloo visits Sioux City for a Saturday rematch, then the team continues on to Kearney, Nebraska, to meet the Tri-City Storm on Sunday.
Sioux City 0 1 1 - 2
Waterloo 1 2 1 - 4
1st Period-1, Waterloo, Lindberg 6 (Erdman, Pionk), 11:36. Penalties-Zueger Sc (slashing), 7:46; Leppanen Sc (roughing), 13:01.
2nd Period-2, Sioux City, Hotson 9 (Deckhut, Conmy), 2:38 (PP). 3, Waterloo, Hilman 10 (Brown, Baker), 3:13. 4, Waterloo, Brown 1 (O'Connell, Hong), 3:30. Penalties-Geary Wat (interference), 1:13; Kopecky Sc (roughing), 5:06; Flynn Wat (roughing), 5:06; Leppanen Sc (checking from behind), 6:02; Hotson Sc (checking from behind), 10:13; Bade Wat (major-high sticking, game misconduct-high sticking), 18:29.
3rd Period-5, Waterloo, O'Connell 6 (Hong, Brown), 12:03. 6, Sioux City, Zueger 4 19:14. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Sioux City 8-9-9-26. Waterloo 13-14-9-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Sioux City 1 / 2; Waterloo 0 / 4.
Goalies-Sioux City, Mangbo 8-8-1-0 (36 shots-32 saves). Waterloo, Spicer 10-4-0-0 (26 shots-24 saves).
A-2,440
