Underdogs Meet for Clark Cup

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USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Underdogs Meet for Clark Cup

May 2, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Waterloo, Iowa - The Waterloo Black Hawks and Muskegon Lumberjacks each finished outside the top five in the United States Hockey League's overall 2024/25 standings, but both have now earned the right to play for the Clark Cup in a series which begins on Friday, May 9, at Young Arena.

Tickets for Game One and Game Two in Waterloo are on sale now online via tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com. Season ticket holders who have subscribed to the team's "Pay as Announced" postseason ticket package will be able to access tickets through their online accounts.

Here is the complete schedule for the Clark Cup Final series (all times Central):

Game One, Friday May 9th - 6:35 p.m., Young Arena

Game Two, Saturday, May 10th - 6:35 p.m., Young Arena

Game Three, Friday, May 16th - 6:10 p.m., Trinity Health Arena

*Game Four, Saturday, May 17th - 5:10 p.m., Trinity Health Arena (if necessary)

*Game Five, Tuesday, May 20th - 6:35 p.m., Young Arena (if necessary)

Both the Hawks and Lumberjacks had to defeat the top two seeds in their respective conferences - as well as advancing from an initial best-of-three series - to reach the Final. Waterloo swept the Tri-City Storm in two games to open the postseason, then overcame the second-seeded Sioux Falls Stampede in the Conference semifinal round. The high-scoring Hawks produced 18 goals across four games in that series. They were even better defensively during a conference final upset of the regular season champion Lincoln Stars, blanking the visitors during Game Three and Game Four at Young Arena after splitting the first two meetings at the Ice Box.

The Lumberjacks needed a full three games to oust the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders during the opening round, but Muskegon hasn't lost since Game Two of that series. The Lumberjacks celebrated a clean sweep of the Eastern Conference champion Youngstown Phantoms, then advanced past the second-seeded Dubuque Fighting Saints in three games. In the process, Muskegon won all four games they have played on the road this postseason.

Waterloo and Muskegon have never met during the USHL playoffs. Both teams are back in the Final after approximately a decade. The Lumberjacks lone trip to this stage of the postseason was in 2015, when they lost to the Sioux Falls Stampede in three games. Waterloo played for the championship a year prior, falling to the Indiana Ice in five games. This is the seventh time the Hawks have been this close to claiming the league's postseason championship since 1979/80, when the USHL transitioned to all-junior rosters.

Tickets for championship round games at Young Arena are priced identically to regular season walk-up rates, as follows: Glass - $27, Center - $24, Attack - $18, Goal - $16. Each ticket is subject to a $3 facility fee.

Follow the Black Hawks - home and away - during the postseason on 1650 "The Fan," KCNZ-AM, 1650thefan.com, and with a video subscription through FloHockey.

Check out the Waterloo Black Hawks Statistics

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