Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly Preview

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USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly Preview

May 8, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Three More Wins

Young Arena is the site for Game One and Game Two of the Clark Cup Final for the first time since 2014. The Black Hawks will host the Muskegon Lumberjacks at 6:35 Friday and Saturday. The best-of-five series will continue in Michigan next weekend; if necessary, Game Five would be May 20th. Waterloo has reached the Final thanks to series victories against the Tri-City Storm, Sioux Falls Stampede, and Lincoln Stars. Muskegon eliminated the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, then upset the Youngstown Phantoms and Dubuque Fighting Saints. This is the first Final since 2015 to pit teams both seeded third or lower in their respective conference playoffs. In 2015, the fourth-seeded Lumberjacks fell to the fourth-seeded Sioux Falls Stampede in three games.

Reaching the Final

The Black Hawks are seeking their fourth USHL postseason title. Waterloo prevailed over the Sioux City Musketeers in both 1978 and 1979 after the league had merged with the Midwest Junior Hockey League and was in the process of transitioning to exclusively junior rosters. The Hawks did not win another championship until 2004, upsetting the Tri-City Storm during a four-game series. During the all-junior era, this will be Waterloo's seventh appearance in the Final. In addition to 2004, the Hawks were runners-up in 1980, 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2014.

Back-to-Back Cups

One player will claim a second consecutive Clark Cup championship during the days ahead. Waterloo's Reid Daavettila and Muskegon's Finn McLaughlin were previously Fargo Force teammates and members of their 2024 Clark Cup squad. In fact, both players were traded to their current teams on the same day, officially February 24th. During this playoff year, Daavettila has recorded a goal and five assists in 10 games for the Hawks, while McLaughlin has four assists in nine postseason appearances for the Lumberjacks.

Hawks at Home, Jacks Away

Something has to give Friday: Muskegon is 4-0 on the road during the postseason, and Waterloo is 6-0 at home. The Hawks went 17-8-5 at Young Arena in the regular season. Muskegon was 17-8-5 in true road games.

Recent Games

Carter Casey delivered two excellent performances, and the Hawks claimed Game Three and Game Four of the Western Conference Final against the Lincoln Stars last Wednesday and Thursday. Casey stopped 29 shots in Game Three, while Teddy Townsend produced a natural hat trick, vaulting Waterloo to a 5-0 victory. The next night, Casey was perfect on 27 Stars attempts; the Hawks prevailed 3-0. Kaeden Hawkins' first period goal proved to be the game-winner, and Grady Deering added the other two tallies.

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

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 8, 2025


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