Saturday, August 25, 2012

USHL Black Hawks Advance to JCWC Championship Game

Press Release

Vince Hinostroza saved the day, then gave the Waterloo Black Hawks a 5-4 shootout win Saturday versus Linkopings of Sweden pushing, the American team to the finals of the 2012 Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia.

With 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation and the Hawks trailing by a goal, the third year veteran knocked in an equalizer from the side of the net to force overtime. The sides played a ten-minute four-on-four overtime with no decision. Waterloo spent the last 1:40 before the shootout shorthanded, but limited Linkopings’ opportunities. Mark Friedman made sure the game would reach the shootout, tying up a puck deep in his own zone after a faceoff for 20 of the final 25 seconds.

Hinostroza scored twice in the four-round shootout, including the winner, which came after a slight hesitation before he fired a shot from the slot under the crossbar. Jesper Pettersson – who had scored in the second round – hit the side of the net on Linkopings’ final opportunity, ending the contest.

“[Hinostroza] is usually our first or second shooter…It was certainly to our benefit today to be able to use him again,” Coach P.K. O’Handley said regarding tournament rules which allow teams to give top players multiple shootout opportunities after three rounds.

After taking momentum at the end of the first period but being unable to score, the Black Hawks’ persistence gave them the lead early in the second. Ninety seconds after intermission, Pijus Rulevicius and Jake Horton went to the net and poked at a puck which eluded goalie Markus Hegberg. Horton was credited with the score when the puck trickled over the line.

The Hawks kept the pressure on, springing Justin Kloos into the offensive zone while skating four-on-four. Kloos stickhandled across the top of the crease and flipped in a backhanded shot at 10:22. Not quite four minutes later, Kyle Schmidt redirected a Friedman blast to the top corner.

The Lion-crested Swedes roared back in the third. Just 13 seconds into the frame, Joakim Broberg redirected a shot off the post, crossbar, and in. By 10:15 of the frame, Linkopings had pulled in front on additional scores by Mattias Karlsson, Pettersson, and Joakim Erdugan, the last two on the power play.

The Black Hawks play their final game in Russia Sunday at 7:30 PM (local time) against the winner of the Sudbury Wolves (Canada) and Dynamo Shinnik (Belarus) for the tournament championship.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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