Black Hawks Rough Up RoughRiders, Final Game Tonight

The Waterloo Black Hawks dominated the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders winning 6-3 Friday, April 11, 2015. Tonight (April 12) is the final night of the season for the Black Hawks.

Six Waterloo Black Hawks players scored and ten had at least one point Friday during a 6-3 win at Young Arena against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Special teams goals represented all of the scoring during the first period. At the outset of Cedar Rapids’ first power play, the puck hopped over the stick of Dylan McLaughlin at the right point, sending Max Coatta off on a shorthanded breakaway. Coatta’s low shot to the glove side beat goaltender Ben Blacker at 8:33.

The RoughRiders got even on their next power play at 13:16; rooted at the top of the crease, Erik Foley redirected Charlie Curti’s right point shot under the crossbar.

Both teams owned the lead in the second; Cedar Rapids went ahead for the first time at :43 thanks to Andrew Gaus. However, give-and-go passing between Nick Swaney and Brock Boeser provided the opportunity for Waterloo to tie the score at 6:03 when Swaney slammed a puck between the pipes from the side of the net.

Just 1:40 later, Phil Beaulieu was hooked on a partial breakaway and awarded a penalty shot. He converted the opportunity, coming straight up the slot and slipping the disk between Blacker’s pads. Ultimately, the game went to intermission tied after Gaus won a loose puck in the Black Hawks zone and set up a goal by Adam Gaudette with 2:28 remaining before the break.

While an early second period goal had given the RoughRiders the lead briefly, Ronnie Hein’s goal :34 into the third put Waterloo ahead for good. Hein benefitted from quick lateral passing between Boeser and Swaney to score into an open side.

The Hawks added insurance goals at 11:18 and 17:46. The first came immediately after an icing faceoff when John Wiitala won the draw and Niko Hildenbrand sent a wrist shot under the bar. The latter was put in by Bryan Lemos in transition over Blacker’s right shoulder.

The Hawks wrap up the season on Saturday against the Dubuque Fighting Saints at 7:05 p.m. During the Prairie Farms Cowbell Cup matchup, 500 lucky fans will claim a Black Hawks t-shirt courtesy of Next Generation Wireless. For tickets, call the Domino’s Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680 or visit waterlooblackhawks.com.