Waterloo started the weekend with a shut-out win Friday night at Des Moines, then dropped a close one Saturday night at Cedar Rapids, and followed it up by playing first place Tri-City tough, but the "Storm" prevailed late in the 3rd period.

FRIDAY VS. DES MOINES
Logan Stein turned aside all 34 Des Moines Buccaneer shots for his first United States Hockey League shutout Friday during a 3-0 Black Hawks win at Buccaneer Arena. Stein was busiest in the second period when Des Moines was on the power play three times.

The game remained scoreless into the third period until Waterloo scored twice in the shifts after a pair of power plays ended. The Bucs were coming back for full strength at 7:24 when Griffin Ness slipped a pass to Emil Ohrvall in the left circle. Ohrvall wound up to blast a one-timer past the goalie. Ryan Drkulec created the second goal. Cutting behind the Des Moines net at 14:11, he slipped a pass to Patrick Guzzo. Receiving the puck with his momentum carrying him toward the crease, Guzzo knocked his shot into an open side. Ness added an empty-netter from center ice to seal the win with 41.9 seconds remaining.

SATURDAY VS. CEDAR RAPIDS
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders were able to grind out a 2-1 win against the Black Hawks Saturday at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. It was the closest and lowest-scoring affair of the five meetings between the two teams. The club playing on home ice has won each match-up this winter.

The RoughRiders went ahead in the first period when Nathan Smith pulled the puck out of the left corner, going to the front of the net to slip a shot past Evan Fear’s left skate. At 13:25 of the second, Cedar Rapids struck again in transition when Liam Walsh dodged a check near the blue line and moved to the slot, scoring on a wrister.

Waterloo’s only goal came on a power play with 1:27 remaining before intermission. Xander Lamppa won a faceoff and the puck came to Hank Sorensen at the right point. He hit the top corner of the net from there, beating Blake Pietila.

SUNDAY VS. TRI-CITY
Two goals in each period allowed the Tri-City Storm to out-distance the Black Hawks 6-3 at Young Arena Sunday.

The Storm jumped to the lead with a pair of goals just over five minutes apart in the opening frame. However, Waterloo got one back before intermission.  One second remained on the first Tri-City power play of the night when Connor Caponi swept in a shorthanded goal. Waterloo tied the game early in the second.  At 2:42, Brehdan Engum’s shot from the right point hand-cuffed Isaiah Saville who was trying to make a back-handed glove save.  The shot flew over his left shoulder.

The Storm went back ahead 33 seconds later when Furry knocked in his second of the game on a deflection; Ronnie Attard’s shot was batted down and trickled to Furry with an open side.  Attard added another goal during a power play at 8:53.  Following a brilliant save by Logan Stein on Furry, Pinto immediately set up Attard on the opposite side of the net, and the defenseman flipped the puck under the crossbar.

Most of the third period was played with a one-goal margin. Patrick Guzzo drew Waterloo to 4-3 thanks to Xander Lamppa and Ryan Drkulec.  Lamppa swiped a clearing attempt on the right boards and pushed the puck behind the net.  There, Drkulec set up Guzzo, who flipped in his try with a quick release.

However the Storm put the game away with goals on either side of the 18 minute mark.  A turnover to Filip Forsmark led to a goal by Budy at 17:58.  Seventeen seconds later, Tri-City was awarded a penalty shot when a Black Hawk defender covered the puck in the crease, and Furry finished his hat trick with a successful conversion.

Sunday’s matchup was the first of eight straight for Waterloo versus opponents from the USHL Western Conference.  The sequence continues Friday on the road against the Lincoln Stars. Then play at home in PartyTown on Saturday night vs. the Sioux City Muskateers. For tickets, call the box office at 319-232-3444.

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