The United States Hockey League regular season ended Saturday, and the Waterloo Black Hawks' first playoff game will be this Monday, April 15th in Young Arena at 7:05 p.m.

The third-seeded Hawks will play a best-of-three series against the Lincoln Stars. This will be the third consecutive year Waterloo and Lincoln have met in the playoffs.  In 2022, the Hawks advanced by winning two of three first round games at the Ice Box.  Then last spring, the Stars turned the tables during a best-of-three Western Conference semifinal series.  Since 2012, Waterloo has played more postseason games against Lincoln (18) than any other opponent. 
 
Game Two during the series will be Tuesday, and if necessary, a third matchup would be on Wednesday.  The entire series will be played at Young Arena.  Doors will open at 5:30 each night with the opening faceoff planned for 7:05 p.m.  The winner will advance to meet the second-seeded Sioux City Musketeers during a USHL Western Conference Semifinal series next weekend.

Tickets for Goal, Attack, and Center Ice sections will be $5 each during the first round.  Glass Zone tickets in the first two rows around the rink are $10.  Opening round playoff tickets are on sale immediately from tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com or by calling the Domino's Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680 beginning Sunday at noon.  Season ticket holders will receive complimentary tickets for next week's games against Lincoln as part of their ticket package.

The first 500 fans in attendance for Monday's postseason opener will receive a 2024 commemorative Waterloo Black Hawks playoff poster.

During the regular season, the Black Hawks won three of four meetings with the Stars, including both games at Young Arena.  The Stars have not visited the Cedar Valley since October, and the two teams last faced each other at Lincoln's Ice Box in early January. 

Waterloo finished the 2023/24 USHL regular season with a 35-25-2 record.