Tuesday's box score

2025 Clark Cup Playoffs
Western Conference First Round
Best-of-Three (Waterloo wins 2-0)

WATERLOO, Iowa – The Waterloo Black Hawks used a trio of third period goals to beat the Tri-City Storm 7-4 in the second game of a best-of-three USHL Western Conference First Round series Tuesday night at Young Arena. 

Waterloo swept the set after collecting a game one win on Monday. The Black Hawks advance to face No. 2 Sioux Falls in the Western Conference Semifinals. 

Scoring began early. The Black Hawks broke the scoreless tie just 1:55 into the first period. Kaeden Hawkins twisted a shot through the five-hole of Storm netminder Kyle Jones after receiving a feed from Reid Daavettila. It was the St. Thomas commit's first tally of the postseason. 

Tri-City answered less than two minutes later. Artemi Nizameyev collected his first of the postseason on a snapshot from the top of the left circle in Waterloo's zone. Nizameyev received an exit feed from Bode Laylin and drove up much of the ice before firing the shot. 

Waterloo re-took its lead exactly a minute later. The puck emerged from a board battle in the right corner of the Storm zone. The Black Hawks' Brendan McMorrow scooped it below the goal line and marched toward Tri-City's net, where he stuffed another shot between the legs of Jones. It was McMorrow's second of the postseason. The Lakeville, Minnesota native tallied Waterloo's game-winning goal on Monday. 

Tri-City re-evened the contest 12:52 into the frame. As Nizameyev possessed the puck at the left point of the Waterloo zone, his fellow Miami commit Shaun McEwen cut to Waterloo's net and slid behind Black Hawk defenders. Nizameyev feathered a nifty pass to McEwen between the faceoff circles, who blasted a shot past Waterloo netminder Carter Casey's glove side for his first career playoff goal. 

Waterloo jumped back ahead early in the second. Toward the end of a Black Hawk power play, Chase Jette fed Easton Hewson in the Storm slot. Hewson one-timed a shot over Jones' glove side. 

The Black Hawks doubled their advantage with just over three minutes left in the middle frame. As time wound down on a Landon Fandel minor penalty, Jette received a hard pass from Brock Schulz in the left corner of Tri-City's zone. The Wisconsin commit quickly strode to the net and finessed a shot past Jones' glove side. 

Tri-City cut its deficit to 4-3 with 36 seconds left in the second. Dylan Nolan recorded his first postseason goal after firing a snapshot past Casey while the Storm rushed into Waterloo's zone. Nolan received a Shaun McEwen rinkwide feed in the left circle to finish the play. 

Waterloo began it's third period surge with a Teddy Townsend tally just past the halfway mark of the period. The Minnesota commit dashed to an open deflected puck at neutral ice and broke around Tri-City defenders toward the Storm net. As he approached the cage, Townsend sent a shot over the blocker side of Jones.

Slightly under four minutes later, Hawkins one-timed a shot past Jones from the left circle as Waterloo worked on the power play. Hawkins received a one-touch feed from Brendan McMorrow, who had previously gathered a quick pass from Dylan Compton. Three of Waterloo's seven goals on Tuesday came via the man advantage.

Down 6-3 with three minutes left in the third, the Storm pulled Jones for an extra attacker. Waterloo was quick to find the vacant cage. Teddy Mallgrave shipped the puck from the left corner of his own zone down the length of the ice and into the empty Tri-City cage to make it 7-3. 

Casey halted 20 of 23 Storm shots for his second win of the series. Jones, who started his first game of the set, stopped 33 of 38 Waterloo attempts. 

Waterloo won its first playoff series since 2022. 

The Storm loss concludes Tri-City's season.