Phantoms are getting ready to haunt the Cedar Valley...or "are theyyyy" (cue up the spooky voice....)

Halloween is 2 weeks away, so it seems appropriate that the Waterloo Black Hawks host a team called the Phantoms, Thursday night (Oct. 18, 2018) at Young Arena.

Party Town has proven to be the "House of Horrors" for many visiting teams, so I guess we'll see if this game turns out to be a "trick" or a "treat" for hockey fans!

FREE KIDS TICKETS!

For one night only, kids 12 and under will receive a complimentary ticket this Thursday night, courtesy of Karen's Print Rite! Fans will enjoy discounted concession specials featuring $2.00 hot dogs, pizza, and soft drinks all game long. The first 1,000 fans will also receive a Black Hawks Poster Schedule. Plus it's College Night - students will receive tickets for just $9.00 with ID.

Starting the Weekend Thursday

The weekend begins early for the Waterloo Black Hawks, thanks to a Thursday night home game against the Youngstown Phantoms. Waterloo and Youngstown host each other in alternating years, therefore, the last Hawks home game against the Phantoms was November 5, 2016. That game ended with no goals in regulation or overtime; Waterloo prevailed, 1-0 in a shootout. Robbie Beydoun made 25 saves and turned away five shootout attempts. The current Phantoms are seeking their first win of 2018/19; four of their five games thus far have been settled by two goals or less. Friday and Saturday, the Hawks go on the road to visit the Sioux Falls Stampede and Sioux City Musketeers. Both opponents have had notable success on special teams; the Stampede rank third on the power play, while the Musketeers are third on the penalty kill.

Overtime Regulars

The Black Hawks have played in overtime during each of the USHL’s first three weekends this season. Two other league teams have also participated in three 2018/19 overtimes: the Central Illinois Flying Aces and the Sioux Falls Stampede. One of the Aces’ overtimes was the Hawks’ season-opening game. Sioux Falls and Central Illinois also squared off head-to-head in overtime, a game in which the Stampede prevailed.

Sorensen Century Mark

If defenseman Hank Sorensen skates in two of the Black Hawks’ three games this weekend, his second appearance will be his 100th USHL regular season game. Sorensen’s first 98 games have included 38 points (ten goals, 28 assists). The Wayzata, Minnesota, native has participated in at least one game for four consecutive seasons. He is a career +10 player in USHL action.

Shorthanded Scoring

Hosting the Green Bay Gamblers on Saturday, Connor Caponi scored a shorthanded goal with just over three minutes remaining. In the prior Waterloo game on October 6, Matej Blumel had provided a shorthanded tally versus the Central Illinois Flying Aces. There were two instances last winter when Waterloo recorded shorthanded goals in at least two consecutive games: the Hawks did it to Cedar Rapids November 23rd and 25th, then added a shorty in a third consecutive game on December 1st versus Muskegon. Waterloo also scored shorthanded December 31st and January 5th against Des Moines and Omaha respectively.

Weekly Recap

Neither team could establish a multigoal lead last Saturday, and the Black Hawks grappled into overtime with the Green Bay Gamblers at Young Arena. The visitors prevailed, 5-4 in extra time. Emil Ohrvall contributed a goal and an assist for Waterloo.

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