The Waterloo Black Hawks didn't strictly need every goal they scored on Saturday, but the home fans were happy to cheer for each Hawks tally during a 7-4 win against the Sioux City Musketeers at Young Arena.
Saturday's offensive total was a new season high for Waterloo. The team reached six goals twice last month, each time against the Tri-City Storm. Saturday was also a reversal from Friday's result, a 7-3 road loss to the Omaha Lancers.
Saturday's affair was tied 1-1 with five minutes left in the first period, but Sioux City was ahead 4-3 at intermission following a wild late sequence. Waterloo had notched the game's first goal on a power play at 3:24; Adyn Merrick hit the net from the left circle after settling the puck and picking his target. Sioux City answered with a four-on-three power play goal at 11:29; a feed across the top of the crease left Dallas Potter with an open net.
Luke Garry gave the Musketeers their first lead at 15:07, scoring from the right circle on a two-on-one rush. However, Waterloo went to the next power play and cashed in again at 16:47. Ty Mason slipped a pass from the edge of the crease to Cullen Emery in the right circle. The goal was Emery's first in the USHL.
Sioux City notched the next two. At 17:41 William Tomko hit the top corner from the right faceoff dot. Going to a power play in the next shift, the Musketeers struck again 18:17 when Trey Jefferis cashed in on a rebound.
However, just 18 seconds later, Caleb Deanovich tallied his first of the season on a transition chance. Drew Waterfield slipped a check to set up Deanovich with a pass across the slot.
Waterloo scored twice in the second to take the lead. Early in the period, Waterfield was hooked on a shorthanded breakaway; the Hawks elected to take an offsetting penalty on the Musketeers rather than the penalty shot. Nonetheless, it was still Waterfield who produced the game-tying score at 8:03, lifting in a chance off the crossbar from close range on Owen DeGraff's pass.
Ryan Whiterabbit pushed the Hawks ahead for the first time since the mid-first period when he notched the next goal at 10:08. Triggering a long, low shot from just inside the blue line, the puck made it into the net untouched at the left of goalie Jack Fichthorn.
Waterloo's third power play goal of the night extended the lead with 8:17 left in regulation. Ty Mason was knocked down near the top of the crease but still managed to swat home his team-leading 15th goal of the season.
The Musketeers pulled Fichthorn with about five minutes to go, but before the initial six-on-five shift was over, Merrick swiped a puck at center, turning back into his own zone before whisking an attempt down three-quarters of the ice into the open frame.
The Black Hawks three remaining games prior to Christmas will all be on the road, beginning Tuesday night against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Waterloo's next home game is on Saturday, December 27th against the Madison Capitols, starting at 6:35 p.m.
Sioux City 4 0 0 - 4
Waterloo 3 2 2 - 7
1st Period-1, Waterloo, Merrick 6 (Emery, Viviano), 3:24 (PP). 2, Sioux City, Potter 1 (Jefferis, Giger), 11:29 (PP). 3, Sioux City, Garry 8 15:07. 4, Waterloo, Emery 1 (Mason, Merrick), 16:47 (PP). 5, Sioux City, Tomko 11 (Garry), 17:41. 6, Sioux City, Jefferis 13 (Vieau, Gould), 18:17 (PP). 7, Waterloo, Deanovich 1 (Waterfield, Laliberte), 18:35. Penalties-Muscutt Sc (holding), 2:12; Viviano Wat (goalie interference), 9:53; Gould Sc (tripping), 10:02; Mason Wat (tripping), 10:16; Muscutt Sc (major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 14:46; Schneider Wat (major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 14:46; Stenger Sc (cross checking), 16:40; Meyer Wat (slashing), 17:51.
2nd Period-8, Waterloo, Waterfield 4 (DeGraff, Treharne), 8:03. 9, Waterloo, Whiterabbit 3 (Deanovich, Viviano), 10:08. Penalties-Mason Wat (interference), 1:23; Vieau Sc (hooking), 2:23; DeGraff Wat (tripping), 16:14.
3rd Period-10, Waterloo, Mason 15 (Viviano, Emery), 11:43 (PP). 11, Waterloo, Merrick 7 (Lefere), 15:52 (EN). Penalties-Stenger Sc (tripping), 11:33; Viviano Wat (tripping), 18:02.
Shots on Goal-Sioux City 10-9-9-28. Waterloo 14-10-9-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Sioux City 2 / 6; Waterloo 3 / 4.
Goalies-Sioux City, Fichthorn 5-8-0-0 (32 shots-26 saves). Waterloo, Chambre 2-3-0-0 (28 shots-24 saves).
A-2,135
