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Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly Preview

April 20, 2018 - United States Hockey League (USHL) - Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


The Playoffs Begin

With 60 games played and the Anderson Cup regular season championship securely in the Black Hawks' possession, Waterloo enters the USHL's Clark Cup Playoffs this weekend. The Hawks host the Lincoln Stars on Saturday (7:05 p.m.) and Sunday (5:05 p.m.) during a best-of-five Western Conference Semifinal series. Lincoln was one of the hottest teams in the league at the end of the regular season, winning six of their final eight games. The Stars advanced to this series after winning a best-of-three set against the Sioux Falls Stampede. Those opening round games were played in Sioux Falls; Lincoln moved on with a 5-4 overtime result Thursday in Game Three. During the 2017/18 regular season, the Hawks were 2-1-1 versus the Stars.

Postseason Experience

Garrett Wait has played in more playoff games than any other Black Hawk who will take the ice this weekend. The University of Minnesota recruit has skated in 16 Clark Cup postseason contests during his two prior seasons. Six current Waterloo players were in the lineup for all eight games last spring: Jackson Cates, Ethan Johnson, Mason Palmer, Hank Sorensen, Jack Drury, and Garrett Klee. Cates (two goals, one assist) and Ben Copeland (three goals) each had three points in 2017, the most among any returning playoff participant.

Relying on the Power Play

Among the eight teams still alive in this season's playoffs, the Black Hawks were nearly the most reliant on power play offense in the regular season, while the Stars were the least. Of Waterloo's 199 goals, 28.6 percent came in power play situations. The Fargo Force were at 29.8 percent. Fargo and Waterloo had the leading power play conversion rates in the regular season (24.5 versus 23.6 percent). Meanwhile, a much higher ratio of Stars goals came at even-strength. Just 15.6 percent of Lincoln's 197 tallies were scored on the advantage.

Night In and Night Out

Last Saturday evening, Ben Copeland and Garrett Klee each took the ice for the 60th time in 2017/18. Across the USHL, they were two of only 35 players who were in the lineup for all 60 games with one team. Klee had missed just one game in 2016/17, while Copeland played in 56 last season. A year ago, Shane Bowers was the only Black Hawks to make 60 appearances. The last time Waterloo had multiple "Every Game" players was in 2014/15: Max Coatta, Phil Beaulieu, and John Wiitala.

Weekly Recap

The high-scoring Hawks used two crucial wins to rally for the Anderson Cup. Ben Finkelstein had a goal and two assists Friday, and Waterloo concluded the road schedule with a 5-1 result against the Madison Capitols. Evan Dougherty and Sam Huff each scored twice at home Saturday in a 6-0 versus the Des Moines Buccaneers.


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