Black Hawks Win Big to Close Out 2017

Thanks to three third period goals, the Waterloo Black Hawks skated to to a 5-2 New Years’ Eve victory against the Des Moines Buccaneers Sunday at Young Arena.

The first period was scoreless despite Des Moines outshooting Waterloo 15-9.
The Bucs finished the first and started the second with a five-on-three power play, which the Hawks thwarted. However, Des Moines went ahead with a shorthanded goal at 8:08; Reed Lebster lifted his breakaway chance over Jared Moe’s left shoulder. During the same power play, Jackson Cates retied the game with a blast from inside the left circle at 9:31.

The Hawks had to claw back from another deficit before the second intermission. At 13:57, Braden Costello was in the left circle when he redirected a point shot into the net. Just three-and-a-half minutes later on the other side of the ice, Hunter Lellig’s chance from above the left circle found its way between the pipes following a faceoff win by Solag Bakich.

Waterloo went to the lead 6:01 into the third during a power play. Moving the puck from right to left, it came to Sam Huff at the left faceoff dot. Huff squeezed his first USHL goal past Jake Kucharski for what proved to be the game-winner.

In the final minute of regulation, the Hawks added two empty net, shorthanded goals. Jack Drury scored from near the center line with 39 seconds to go. Ben Copeland added another with 20 seconds remaining.

Des Moines was limited to six shots on goal in the third period but outshot Waterloo, 33-27 for the game. Moe made 31 saves for the win.

At the end of the first week of 2018, the Black Hawks take the ice again when they travel to Omaha Friday for a tilt with the Lancers. Waterloo returns home the next night to host the Central Illinois Flying Aces. Tickets for all Black Hawks home games are on sale now from waterlooblackhawks.com or by calling the Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680.

Contributed By: Tim Harwood (Waterloo Black Hawks Media Relations)