Waterloo long weekend road trip produced great results with 2 wins and improving their record to 31-13-2 and 64 points in the Western Conference. The Black Hawks extended their lead to 4 points better than the 2nd place Omaha Lancers with 60 points.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT YOUNGSTOWN
Three first period goals vaulted the Black Hawks to a 5-1 win against the Youngstown Phantoms Saturday at the Covelli Center in eastern Ohio.

During the first nine minutes, Waterloo recorded two nearly identical goals. Faceoff wins in the offensive zone led to shots from the right wing circle, knocked in from the top of the crease. Mason Reiners took the shot at 3:30, tipped in by Matthew Argentina. At 8:45, it was Dane Montgomery pulling the trigger, with Kyle Haskins making the re-direction.

The Hawks built the lead during a power play at 12:43. Wyatt Schingoethe was between the right dot and the crease, beating the netminder inside the opposite post.

Waterloo killed off a four-minute power play later in the period, but four seconds after coming to full strength, Reilly Funk scored in transition after the puck eluded the Hawks near the defensive blue line. An additional extended Youngstown power play during the early second period could have changed the complexion of the contest, but Waterloo navigated the five-minute major with no change in score. In fact, the second period ended with the count still at 3-1.

At 2:17 of the third, the Hawks extended the lead to 4-1 when Schingoethe swiped the puck as it appeared the Phantoms were about to exit the defensive zone. He put a pass across the slot to Teddy Lagerback, who scored with one touch once the puck arrived. Waterloo added a final goal during a power play at 15:12, when Xander Lamppa capitalized from the top of the crease. The Hawks out-shot Youngstown 34-19. Gabriel Carriere was in net for the win with 18 saves.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT TEAM USA
The Black Hawks won the first of four consecutive road games, pulling away from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-17s for a 5-1 Friday win at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.

Waterloo took the lead 10:10 into the game with the only goal of the first period. Matt Argentina appeared to be stopped near the NTDP blue line, but Patrick Guzzo nudged the puck to the left corner, and Argentina carried on, cutting to the net through the left circle and lifting a shot to the top corner from a sharp angle. Argentina and Guzzo were involved again when the Hawks made it 2-0 at 4:36 of the second. However, it was Connor Caponi who swooped in to score on a rebound after the initial try which Guzzo and Argentina created while coming up the ice on a numbers-down rush. Ondrej Psenicka provided the game’s only power play conversion at 9:12. While being jostled near the front of the net, Psenicka re-directed Ethan Szmagaj’s shot from the right point.

An unfortunate bounce led to the lone U17 goal at 6:49 of the third. Ty Murchison’s shot was rising above crossbar level when it hit defenseman Brehdan Engum’s half-shield. It went from there off the end glass, then sprang back to the side of the net for Daniyal Dzhaniyev to tuck in.

However, the Hawks responded with two goals within the next four minutes. At 8:36, Joey Strada swiped the puck just inside the NTDP blue line, navigated the left circle and slipped in a low shot past Gibson Homer. Strada then helped spring Griffin Ness on a breakaway from the U17s blue line. Waterloo’s captain went to his backhand to flip a shot over Homer’s right shoulder at 9:52.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN THIS WEEKEND
After traveling to the USHL’s eastern extremes this weekend, the Black Hawks head west next Friday and Saturday to meet the last place Sioux City Musketeers

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