USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly Preview

Published on October 19, 2021 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Stars Times Two

The Hawks welcome the Lincoln Stars (4-2-1) for back-to-back games at Young Arena Friday (7:05 p.m.) and Saturday (6:05 p.m.). This will be the third consecutive weekend that the Stars have met a Western Conference rival for back-to-back games; last Friday and Saturday, Lincoln visited the Fargo Force for two games. The weekend before that, they played a home-and-home series versus the Sioux Falls Stampede. Meanwhile, Waterloo has not had a similar scheduling situation yet this season. Saturday will be the first of ten times in 2021/22 that the Hawks will experience an instant rematch against an opponent they have seen the night before.

Hawks in Conference

Waterloo has opened the season with an 0-2-1 record against opponents from the USHL Western Conference. The Hawks' next four games are against the west, and Waterloo is scheduled to meet the other seven teams from their half of the league a total of 46 times in 2021/22. During the 10 previous seasons Waterloo has been stationed in the West, the Hawks highest win total versus conference opponents was 26 in 2013/14.

Measuring by the Minute

Through four weeks of this season, Black Hawks goaltender Jack Williams leads the league with 344 minutes played. Des Moines netminder Remington Keopple (305) is the only other goalie currently over 300. During two previous seasons each shortened by the coronavirus, Williams played 776 minutes last year and 1,503 in 2019/20 (as a member of the Muskegon Lumberjacks). Since the USHL transitioned to Tier I status in 2002/03, no Waterloo goalie has played more minutes during one regular season than Kevin Regan in 2003/04 (2,809).

Personal Bests

Cooper Wylie's four points (one goal, three assists) in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against the Dubuque Fighting Saints was a new personal best. Two other Hawks veterans could make a similar claim. Mason Reiners had three points (one goal, two assists). John Waldron's two assists during the contest matched a previous two-point night he had on December 13, 2019 versus the Omaha Lancers.

Recent Games

Overtime was the order of the day for the Black Hawks in both of their games last weekend. Friday in Omaha, Michael LaStarza scored in regulation and then in the shootout which followed, but the Lancers edged Waterloo 2-1. It was the first time the Hawks had been involved in a shootout since a 4-3 win against Omaha last February 21st. The Hawks got back to overtime again Saturday, thanks to LaStarza's goal in the closing seconds of regulation. Cooper Wylie then provided the winner as the teams skated three-on-three. Mason Reiners and Tyler Kostelecky also scored in the 4-3 result.

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United States Hockey League Stories from October 19, 2021


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