General | 4/25/2025 10:04:29 PM
Lincoln 4, Waterloo 3
(Series Tied 1-1)
Box Score // Video Recap
The Lincoln Stars used a three-goal first period to skate past the Waterloo Black Hawks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. With the win, the Stars evened the series at 1-1.
Matt Maltais opened the scoring at the two-minute mark of the first period on a backdoor tap-in from Layne Loomer.
Lefty Markonidis made it a two-goal advantage for the Stars less than two minutes later on a wrister from the left-wing circle.
Ethan Weber capped off the frame with his first postseason goal, assisted by Maltais.
Alex Pelletier added to Lincoln’s lead early in the second period on a one-timer from the high slot. The goal marked Pelletier’s third of the postseason.
Less than one minute later, Hunter Ramos got Waterloo on the board from the right dot. The goal marked Ramos’ third in his last four postseason games.
Late in regulation, Kaeden Hawkins brought Waterloo back within two with his sixth goal in these playoffs.
With the net empty, Brendan McMorrow potted his sixth goal of the playoffs.
Yan Shostak bounced back and made 28 saves on 31 shot attempts for Lincoln. Meanwhile, Carter Casey made 29 saves for Waterloo.
Muskegon 7, Dubuque 4
(Muskegon Leads Series 2-0)
Box Score // Video Recap
Ivan Ryabkin tallied a hat trick and David Deputy had two goals in the Muskegon Lumberjacks’ Game 2 win against the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday.
With the win, Muskegon takes a 2-0 series lead heading back to Michigan for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Josh Giuliani opened the scoring for the Saints at the 8:51 mark of the first period. The goal came on a one-timer from the low slot and marked Giuliani’s third of the playoffs.
Ryabkin scored twice in 67 seconds to give Muskegon a 2-1 lead in the first period. The Russian forward redirected a shot on the backdoor before scoring on a blazing one-timer from the point.
Before the frame ended, Jack Galanek scored a highlight-reel goal, going between the legs and roofing his shot to make it a 3-1 lead for Muskegon after 20 minutes of play.
The second period was dominated by the ‘Jacks, who found the back of the net three times.
Xavier Veilleux scored his second postseason goal on a one-timer from above the right-wing circle.
Deputy scored his first of the night through a screen from the left-wing circle. The Miami commit added his second goal on a centering feed from Tynan Lawrence.
However, Dubuque scored three times in a 7:16 span to pull within two.
Lucas Van Vliet potted his third postseason goal after walking the puck in and scoring on a wrister from the right wing.
Jonathan Morello inched Dubuque closer with his second postseason goal in the third period, roofing his shot into the Muskegon net just before a defender could get a stick on the puck.
James Mackey made it a two-goal deficit for the Saints on a wrister from the high slot.
Ryabkin completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal.
Stephen Peck and Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev combined for 19 saves for Muskegon. Liam Beerman and Kyle Ozgun combined for 19 saves for Dubuque.
Muskegon 2, Dubuque 1
(Muskegon Leads Series 1-0)
Box Score // Video Recap
Muskegon scored a goal in each of the first two periods then hung on in a frantic finish to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against Dubuque on Friday.
Vaclav Nestrasil scored on a wrister from below the right dot off a stretch pass from Bauer Barry. The goal marked the UMass commit’s second of the postseason and came with under a minute left in the first period.
The ‘Jacks doubled up their lead in the middle frame on a play in transition. Chase Stefanek scored from the left-wing circle, his third goal of the postseason.
Josh Giuliani brought the Fighting Saints back within a goal at the 8:04 mark of the third period on a backhander in the slot.
However, that would be the only goal that Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev would surrender.
Gadzhiev turned aside 36-of-37 shots on goal and helped to kill off all four of Dubuque’s power-play opportunities. Liam Beerman made 30 saves for Dubuque.
Waterloo 6, Lincoln 4
(Waterloo Leads Series 1-0)
Box Score // Video Recap
Waterloo used a four-goal second period to skate past Lincoln in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Friday.
Six different skaters found the back of the net for the Black Hawks, including Teddy Townsend, who potted his third postseason goal to tie the game in the first period. The marker came after Kade Kohanski opened the scoring for the Stars.
Waterloo scored three goals in a 1:43 span to start the second period.
Chase Jette’s wrister from the slot was upheld after an official’s review determined a good goal on the ice. Hunter Ramos followed less than 30 seconds later on a rebound in front of the Lincoln net. Kaeden Hawkins added his fifth postseason goal to the right of the cage just over one minute later, making it a 4-1 lead for the Hawks.
The Stars got one back on Hunter Anderson’s goal at the 13:31 mark of the second period.
However, Reid Morich redirected Jette’s shot from the point to restore Waterloo’s three-goal lead.
Brady Peddle made it a 6-2 Black Hawks lead early in the third period. The goal marked the Michigan State commit’s first of the playoffs.
Alex Pelletier and Lefty Markonidis lit the lamp to bring the Stars back within two late in regulation.
Carter Casey made 29 saves on 33 shot attempts for Waterloo. Yan Shostak and William Prowse combined for 17 saves for Lincoln.
About the USHL
The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.
The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.