The Waterloo Black Hawks have lost five consecutive Saturday games, with the most recent instance coming at home against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 4-2.
The Hawks came up short by the same score against the RoughRiders two Saturdays earlier on February 24th. It was also the second consecutive Saturday Waterloo was unable to stay within a point of the Sioux City Musketeers for second place in the USHL Western Conference. This weekend – like last weekend – the Hawks won on Friday while the Musketeers lost, but then the results reversed the next night.
Precise passing put Cedar Rapids into the lead 9:15 into the game. Jack Larrigan slung the puck to Riley Bassen who then sent it back across the top of the crease in the opposite direction. That set up Zack Sharp with an open side. Two-and-a-half minutes later, Colin Grable batted a puck out of midair into the crease where Hans Martin Ulvebne was waiting to poke it between the pipes.
The RoughRiders added to their lead with the only goal during the second period. In the late moments of a power play, the puck came to Amine Hajibi at the top of the crease. He was able to lift his chance into the net from close range at 11:51.
A pair of special teams goals during the third brought the Hawks briefly back within one goal. Myles Hilman got the first one during a power play with just under seven minutes to go. With a pileup in the crease, the puck squirted across the goal line inside the post at the right of goaltender James Norton.
On the following shift, Reid Morich was given a cross checking major, but that didn't stop Waterloo from scoring the next goal. Norton turned the puck over to Jakub Altrichter at the inside edge of the left circle, and Waterloo's 20-year-old forward quickly reversed it back toward the net and across the goal line at 14:34.
The Hawks came within 25 seconds of escaping the major penalty unscathed, but Cedar Rapids generated a transition goal at 18:22. Hajibi's cross-ice pass hit Ben Muthersbaugh cutting to the net, and Muthersbaugh scored the third RoughRiders power play goal of the night.
Next weekend, the Hawks make their lone regular season trip to Wisconsin. Waterloo will visit the Madison Capitols on Friday and the Green Bay Gamblers on Saturday.
Cedar Rapids 2 1 1 - 4
Waterloo 0 0 2 - 2
1st Period-1, Cedar Rapids, Sharp 7 (Bassen, Larrigan), 9:15. 2, Cedar Rapids, Ulvebne 7 (Grable, Kjellberg), 11:39 (PP). Penalties-Muscutt Cr (high sticking), 3:41; Milfors Cr (roughing), 11:12; Deering Wat (unsportsmanlike cnd., roughing), 11:12; Vachon Wat (delay of game), 19:12.
2nd Period-3, Cedar Rapids, Hajibi 10 (Muthersbaugh, Sharp), 11:51 (PP). Penalties-Morich Wat (tripping), 10:11; Schiller Cr (hooking), 13:19.
3rd Period-4, Waterloo, Hilman 22 (Lindberg, Miller), 13:06 (PP). 5, Waterloo, Altrichter 11 14:34 (SH). 6, Cedar Rapids, Muthersbaugh 7 (Hajibi, Sharp), 18:22 (PP). Penalties-Bassen Cr (interference), 1:00; Grable Cr (head contact), 11:20; Morich Wat (major-cross checking, game misconduct-cross checking), 13:47; Groenewold Cr (roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00; Deering Wat (cross checking, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00.
Shots on Goal-Cedar Rapids 6-10-8-24. Waterloo 15-11-18-44.
Power Play Opportunities-Cedar Rapids 3 / 4; Waterloo 1 / 4.
Goalies-Cedar Rapids, Norton 9-3-1-2 (44 shots-42 saves). Waterloo, Vachon 19-7-0-0 (24 shots-20 saves).
A-3,093
