Lincoln Stars skater Paul Cotter scored his second goal of the night 3:10 into overtime, and Lincoln claimed a Game One win against the Waterloo Black Hawks Saturday to open the a USHL Western Conference Semifinal series at Young Arena.

Only 48 hours after Cotter had boosted the Stars out of the first round with an overtime goal, he did it again, stepping across the blue line to lift a shot over the left shoulder of Matej Tomek.

Lincoln goaltender Derek Schaedig turned in a solid performance at the opposite end of the ice, unbeatable except for a short lapse in the middle 20 minutes. Schaedig made 40 saves in the victory.

Three second period goals – including both Black Hawks tallies – came in a 42 second span. The Hawks broke the scoreless deadlock at 2:20, when Ethan Johnson was positioned at the front of the net and deflected Sam Huff’s shot under the crossbar. On the next shift, Ben Copeland swiped a clearing attempt on the right wing boards and centered for Garrett Wait. The third year veteran put his shot under Schaedig’s glove at 2:37.

However, just seven seconds after that, Cotter brought the puck up the ice and deposited it at the top of the crease. It was knocked in from there among a swirling group of players.

The Stars cashed in to tie it on their fourth power play of the night at 5:37 of the third. A chance from the high slot by Tristan Ashbrook was knocked down, but Josiah Slavin found it between the rings and slipped his attempt.

Game Two between the Hawks and Stars is Sunday evening at Young Arena, with a 5:05 p.m. opening faceoff. For tickets, call the Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680 or visit waterlooblackhawks.com.

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