Veteran forward Griffin Erdman powered the Waterloo Black Hawks to a 3-2 overtime win against the Des Moines Buccaneers at Young Arena during a Saturday night game where the Hawks never led in regulation.
Waterloo trailed 2-1 with just over five minutes remaining in the third period when Erdman scored the first of two crucial goals. A turnover behind the Des Moines net allowed Connor Brown to feed Erdman in the slot. Jonathan Reinholdt stopped his first shot, but with a rebound left free in the crease, Erdman swept in the equalizer.
It was his fourth consecutive game with a goal.
Des Moines had possession for most of the first minute in extra time until Hawks goalie Calvin Vachon kicked away a low shot. The puck came to Erdman, setting up an odd-man rush when Erdman found Brown on right wing. Brown's attempt from the right circle created a rebound at the opposite edge of the Des Moines crease, and Erdman arrived to score into an open side at 1:18.
The Hawks moved to 3-0 in overtime and shootout games this season. Waterloo earned the win with 25 saves by Vachon and despite being outshot 27-24.
The visitors had broken a scoreless deadlock 7:57 into the second period. A precise passing sequence between all three Buccaneer forwards left Andrew Clarke one-on-one against Vachon, and Clarke scored from the inside edge of the left circle.
Waterloo answered on a power play less than three minutes later. Gavin Lindberg was handling the puck behind the net. He wrapped it into the crease and it bounced in, past Reinholdt, off a defender.
Brown had one of the assists on Lindberg's goal and finished the game with three.
The Hawks' weekend extends to Sunday with a road game against the Sioux Falls Stampede. Tomorrow's puck drop in South Dakota is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Des Moines 0 1 1 0 - 2
Waterloo 0 1 1 1 - 3
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties
2nd Period-1, Des Moines, Clarke 2 (Battaini, Lurati), 7:57. 2, Waterloo, Lindberg 6 (Thoreson, Brown), 10:34 (PP). Penalties-Borozinskis Dm (tripping), 1:13; McInnis Wat (hooking), 4:43; Goffredo Dm (bench minor-too many men), 8:59; Kernan Dm (roughing), 11:31; Phelan Wat (roughing), 11:31; Thoreson Wat (tripping), 12:53; Gramer Dm (tripping), 16:54.
3rd Period-3, Des Moines, Minnehan 6 (VanRooyan, Ford), 7:43. 4, Waterloo, Erdman 6 (Hilman, Brown), 14:56. Penalties-VanRooyan Dm (tripping), 11:09.
1st OT Period-5, Waterloo, Erdman 7 (Brown, Vachon), 1:18. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Des Moines 9-8-9-1-27. Waterloo 9-6-7-2-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Des Moines 0 / 2; Waterloo 1 / 4.
Goalies-Des Moines, Reinholdt 2-2-4-0 (24 shots-21 saves). Waterloo, Vachon 6-2-0-0 (27 shots-25 saves).
A-2,275
