Black Hawks Preview (Jan 31-Feb 1)

After two weekends away from 'Party Town,' the Waterloo Black Hawks return to Young Arena.  On Friday, January 31, 2014, the Muskegon Lumberjacks come to town.  On Saturday, it is the Sioux City Musketeers.

Muskegon and the Muskies:
The Waterloo Black Hawks’ weekend includes matchups against the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Sioux City Musketeers. The Hawks have not faced the Lumberjacks since January of 2013; Muskegon is one of two clubs Waterloo hasn’t met during the 2013/14 campaign. The Lumberjacks – along with the Omaha Lancers – will play their 40th game of the season on Friday, most in the USHL. Meanwhile, this weekend Sioux City will be attempting to join the four USHL clubs currently with 50 or more standings points. Waterloo and Sioux City have faced off once in each club’s building this season, with the home team winning each time.

Top Ten List:
With two goals on Saturday against the Fargo Force, Black Hawks scoring leader Peter Krieger moved into a tie for ninth league-wide with 36 points. Krieger shares that spot in the rankings with Nick Schmaltz of the Green Bay Gamblers. Since Christmas, the University of Alaska recruit has recorded seven goals and four assists in 11 games. Krieger is also +8 during that span.

Fifty and Over:
During the Black Hawks’ games last weekend in Fargo, Waterloo accumulated 106 shots on goal, 52 on Friday and 54 on Saturday. The efforts were the seventh and eighth times this year that the Hawks have been credited with 50 or more shots on goal. Five of those occasions have come during the club’s current 13-game winning streak. The Hawks’ average of 39.4 shots per contest leads the USHL, while opponents average 29.4 per game against Waterloo. The +10.0 per game differential is second only to the Indiana Ice (+11.2).

The Century Mark:
Defenseman Mark Friedman will make his 100th USHL regular season appearance the next time he steps onto the ice. Currently tied with Brandon Montour as the league’s top-scoring defenseman, Friedman has 11 points in his last eight games. His 25 assists lead the Hawks and are seventh-most in the USHL among players at all positions. Friedman is two assists shy of his 64-game total from last season, and ranks just outside the top 30 on Waterloo’s career list.

Weekly Recap:
The Black Hawks never trailed during weekend road wins against the Fargo Force. Alec McCrea, Brandon Montour, and Tim Lappin each scored Friday, and Cal Petersen made 19 saves in the 3-1 decision. Saturday, Waterloo overcame Fargo’s comeback effort, steaming to a 6-2 final. John Wiitala and Peter Krieger each scored twice, while Cameron Johnson defeated his former club with 20 saves. The two wins extended the Hawks’ streak to 13-consecutive victories, a new franchise record.