USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly Preview

December 14, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Short Days in Fargo

Friday will include just eight hours and 32 minutes of daylight in eastern North Dakota as the Black Hawks visit the Fargo Force (7-11-4) for the second of two contests and the final game for each team ahead of the USHL's Christmas break. This week's matchups begin at 7:05 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday night. Since Thanksgiving, the Force have had their best stretch of the season, earning a 3-2-1 record. Meanwhile, the Black Hawks are 2-2-0 following an overtime loss on the holiday.

North Dakota Ahead of the Break

This weekend will mark the third time since 2016 that the Black Hawks have played in Fargo during the last week ahead of the USHL's Christmas break. In 2016, Waterloo recovered from a 4-1 loss in the first of two games to earn a 5-4 overtime result on a winning goal by Bailey Conger. The following year, the two teams split again under similar scheduling circumstances: the Force won the weekend opener 4-0, but the Hawks rebounded to cap the trip with a 4-1 result behind Matej Tomek's 28 saves.

Ness Nudging Up Assist Total

Veteran Black Hawks defenseman Tucker Ness has an assist in two of the Black Hawks' last three games. The 19-year-old is now up to seven assists this season, which ranks fourth on the team. Ness' lone multipoint game this season came on October 30th when he set up a pair of goals during a 4-3 overtime victory in Fargo. The second-year blue-liner has already surpassed his scoring mark from last year (one goal, four assists in 44 appearances) with eight points in 20 games.

Similar Scoring

Waterloo and Fargo could hardly have closer team scoring totals through the first third of the season. Offensively, the Hawks rank 14th and the Force are 15th in goals per game at 2.82 and 2.55 respectively. As to scoring defense, Waterloo is fifth (2.95), while Fargo ranks seventh (3.27). Michael LaStarza is the Black Hawks' top individual scorer with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), just a notch better than the Force's Bret Link at 15 (nine goals, six assists).

Recent Games

The Black Hawks improved to 3-0-0 during weeks in which they have played just one game this season. Last Friday, Waterloo bested the Des Moines Buccaneers 5-1, despite being outshot 38-27. The Hawks are now 4-4-0 this season during games where their opponents have more shots on goal. Emmett Croteau made 37 saves during the victory. Michael LaStarza scored the game's first goal and assisted on the game-winner. John Waldron produced a pair of assists.

For complete box scores from previous Black Hawks games, visit ushl.com.

Check out the Waterloo Black Hawks Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from December 14, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central