Waterloo beat up on last place Sioux City Friday and Saturday night, improving their record to 33-13-2 with 68 points. The Black Hawks now own a 6 point lead in the USHL's Western Conference over 2nd place Omaha with 62 points.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT SIOUX CITY
Wyatt Schingoethe had a hat trick and Joe Cassetti was all over the stat sheet during an 8-2 Saturday road win against the Musketeers at Tyson Events Center. The victory gives the Hawks a five-game road winning streak and four straight overall.

The Hawks jumped on the Musketeers for three first period goals, starting just 64 seconds into the game. Eluding pressure, Aaron Bohlinger sent a shot wide of the net, and Cassetti’s follow-up opportunity created a rebound in the slot. Schingoethe was there to knock it in. Schingoethe scored again at 6:49, capitalizing from the right circle on Cassetti’s pass during a two-on-one. During a power play, Schingoethe and Bohlinger helped set up a Cassetti goal at 12:05. Schingoethe’s feed created a clear path to the net through the right circle for Bohlinger. The defenseman feathered the puck to Cassetti to score into an open side.

Waterloo continued the onslaught in the 2nd. At 2:02, Ryder Rolston moved the disk across the slot to Patrick Guzzo; with a couple of strides toward the net, he flipped the puck over Ethan Haider’s left shoulder. Schingoethe completed his hat trick not quite five minutes later. His initial shot missed the net but sprang back to the side of the goal; with players chopping away, Schingoethe got the last touch to make it a 5-0 score.

A fortunate bounce made it 6-0 at 1:31 of the third. Cassetti’s shot from the top of the left circle was redirected by a defender’s stick leaving Haider no chance as the puck fluttered over him and under the crossbar. At 8:29, Luke Bast added an exclamation point while the Hawks were skating two men short-handed. Off a defensive zone draw, Waterloo was able to gain control, and Mason Reiners sprung Cassetti to center on a two-on-one. Cassetti set up Bast for an almost identical goal to the one scored by Schingoethe on the rush in the first period. Rolston scored the game’s last goal on an odd-man rush at 16:41.

Waterloo out-shot Sioux City 41-23, with 21 saves by Gabriel Carriere for the win.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT SIOUX CITY
Gabriel Carriere stopped all the shots targeted toward his net in a 4-0 Black Hawks win against Sioux City Friday at Tyson Events Center.

Carriere made 18 saves for his 20th win of the season and second shutout. Ethan Haider was far busier in the other net; Waterloo outshot the Musketeers 56-18. The Hawks took the lead with the first period’s only goal at 5:57. Ryder Rolston swiped the puck at center, setting up Kieghan Gerrie’s shot from the left circle. The rebound of that chance was left free in the slot, and Joe Cassetti boosted the puck into an open side.

Waterloo struck again with a transition goal early in the second. At 4:34, Aaron Bohlinger fed a pass to Xander Lamppa on right wing. Bohlinger went to the net and Lamppa sent it back his way for a re-direction past Haider. Patrick Guzzo and Griffin Ness doubled the lead during the third period. At 10:06, Lamppa attempted a wraparound, ultimately sending the puck across the top of the crease. Guzzo was waiting at the opposite post to bang in his chance. Then the Hawks caught the Musketeers with a two-on-one rush for the game’s final goal at 15:03. Joey Strada fed Griffin Ness, and the Black Hawk captain snapped his 20th goal of the season between the pipes.

ON THE ROAD AT DUBUQUE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Waterloo’s final road game in a sequence of five straight away from home is Wednesday night against the Dubuque Fighting Saints. The Black Hawks return home this Friday and Saturday night for a two-game series with Sioux Falls.

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