Back from Christmas Break

Two days after Christmas, the Black Hawks return to action with a 6:35 p.m. Saturday home game against the Madison Capitols.  Waterloo will also be at home on Sunday against the Sioux City Musketeers at 3:05 p.m.  Sunday's matchup is the only game on the 2025/26 home schedule with an early start time.  The Capitols will likely be reinforced by veteran defenseman John Stout, who helped the U.S. Junior Select Team to a gold medal during the World Junior A Challenge in Quebec.  Meanwhile, Sioux City will try to replicate the success they enjoyed just before the holiday hiatus.  The Musketeers won three games in three days from December 11th through 13th, springing to fourth place in the USHL Western Conference as a result.

December in the Balance

The Black Hawks play three times before December ends, and those results will dictate whether Waterloo completes the month above, below, or at .500.  The Hawks are currently 2-2-1 this month.  Madison, Sioux City, and the Des Moines Buccaneers – Waterloo's New Year's Eve opponent – have already been on the Hawks' December docket.  Madison prevailed in overtime 4-3 on the 12th.  Waterloo upended Sioux City 7-4 on the 6th.  The Hawks and Bucs split a pair of games on the 9th and 13th.
 
Mason Building All-Around Season

Ty Mason's team-leading 15 goals and co-leading 24 points stand out on his stat line, but so does his +7 plus/minus differential.  Mason has been a contributor on both ends of the ice and tops the Hawks in the plus/minus department.  The mark is consistent with last season when he was +12.  For good measure, the Western Michigan recruit also paces Waterloo with 63 shots on goal.
Waterloo results have been mixed during the first game after Christmas.  Last December, the Hawks fell at home against the Fargo Force 5-3.  Despite the setback, Kaeden Hawkins scored twice for Waterloo.  A year earlier, the Hawks had defeated the National Team Development Program 7-4.  Waterloo is 5-5-0 during the first game after the break over the past 10 years.  The Hawks have not met the Capitols immediately after the holiday since a 4-3 win versus the original Capitols in 1991.

Recent Games

Salvatore Viviano produced a hat trick to boost the Black Hawks past the Des Moines Buccaneers 5-3 on December 9th.  Viviano scored two more goals on the 12th, but the Madison Capitols overcame a 3-1 third period deficit to edge Waterloo 4-3 in overtime.  Des Moines then blanked the Hawks 4-0 on the 13th in the final game before the 13-day break. 

Tuesday, December 9 BLACK HAWKS 5, Des Moines 3  Recap
Friday, December 12 Black Hawks 3, MADISON 4 (OT)  Recap
Saturday, December 13 Black Hawks 0, DES MOINES 4  Recap

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Waterloo returns from the USHL's holiday break with three home games between Christmas and the end of 2025.  The Hawks host the Madison Capitols on Saturday, December 27th, then the Sioux City Musketeers the next afternoon, and the Des Moines Buccaneers on New Year's Eve.  Tickets are on sale from tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com or by calling the Domino's Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680.