Postgame Recap: Deanovich Delivers in Overtime - Waterloo Black Hawks

Deanovich Lifts Black Hawks Past Fighting Saints in Overtime

Waterloo defenseman Caleb Deanovich scored 24 seconds into overtime to secure a 3-2 victory for the Waterloo Black Hawks over the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Halloween night at Young Arena, the Waterloo Black Hawks reported. The win extends Waterloo’s home undefeated streak to 5-0-0 this season and caps the team’s most successful October in a decade, during which they went 6-1-1.

The extra session began with Dubuque seemingly controlling the opening faceoff, but a turnover sparked the decisive transition. A Fighting Saint fell down in the neutral zone, allowing Deanovich to gather the puck in his own end and carry it up ice before handing off to Cody Sokol. Sokol drove hard toward the net, losing control near the crease, but the loose puck slid directly to Deanovich. He kicked it to his stick and flipped a shot into the open side of the net.

That dramatic finish became necessary after Dubuque erased a late deficit in regulation. Skating with a six-on-four advantage during a power play with an extra attacker on the ice, Olle Darth fired a shot from above the right circle that found the back of the net with just 29.6 seconds remaining in the third period. The puck crossed the goal line a split second after a Waterloo penalty had expired, tying the game at 2-2.

Waterloo had held the lead for much of the night without ever trailing. Hayden Russell opened the scoring for the Black Hawks at 17:42 of the first period on a power play, finishing the chance against his former team after Justin Bloink’s long bid was knocked down and Cody Sokol had the first whack at the rebound. Dubuque responded in the second period during a delayed penalty when Joseph Covelluzzi punched in a rebound at 11:48 following Melvin Ekman’s shot off the post.

After a disputed Waterloo goal was waved off early in the third due to a high stick, Dylan Nolan restored the lead at 3:37 by snapping a laser under the crossbar off a feed from Jordan Geike. The score marked Nolan’s team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Waterloo enters the final stretch of its three-game weekend holding a 5-1 victory earned Friday against the Sioux City Musketeers. The Black Hawks will close out the weekend and start November on the road Sunday with a rematch in Dubuque scheduled for 5:05 p.m.