Waterloo, Iowa — The Des Moines Buccaneers (23-24-3-4) fell to the Waterloo Black Hawks (14-35-2-2) Friday night in a Dupaco Cowbell Cup matchup at Young Arena. Bucs forwards Blake Zielinski and Harper Searles each battled to bring Des Moines within one goal, but Waterloo took the final edge. Bucs goalie Andrei Nikolaev (2-7-0-0) suffered a loss with 27 saves on 30 shots by the Black Hawks. Waterloo goalie Dane Callaway (5-8-1-1) stopped 26 of 28 Bucs shots in the victory. The Bucs look ahead to a Tuesday night Dupaco Cowbell Cup matchup against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on March 17 at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex.
Waterloo forward Dylan Nolan opened the scoring of the match with a late first period goal at 17:26, sending his shot from the left-wing circle top-shelf to bring the Black Hawks ahead 1-0. Forward Salvatore Viviano followed up with another goal for the Black Hawks at 19:29, capitalizing on a 2-on-1 opportunity to bring the score to 2-0.
Bucs forward Blake Zielinski netted the lone goal of the middle frame on the power play at 8:34, tapping in Owen Tylec's rebounded shot to cut the deficit to 2-1. Forward Ryan Seelinger notched the secondary assist on Zielinski's 20th goal on the season.
Viviano restored the two-goal lead for the Black Hawks 6:00 into the third period, showing a score of 3-1 as his shot from the left-wing circle found its way past Nikolaev. Bucs forward Harper Searles forced a loose puck past Callaway for his fifth goal on the season at 18:55. Searles' late comeback attempt was assisted by forwards Jakub Dubravik and Tylec, but was not enough to give Des Moines the edge, showing a final score of 3-2.
The Bucs return home for a Tuesday night Dupaco Cowbell Cup matchup against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on March 17 at 6:35 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick's day with Bucs hockey and $1 hot dogs! The Bucs then host the Fargo Force for back-to-back matchups Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21. March 20 is Fireball Friday and 2-for-1 beer night! Saturday, March 21, your Bucs will come out swinging for Bucs at Bat, featuring $1 hot dogs, Tito's Saturday, and Coors Mug Club 1/2 off beverages. Don't miss out on the action! Buy your tickets here.
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About the Buccaneers
Founded in 1980, the Des Moines Buccaneers are a proud member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's premier junior hockey league. The Bucs have a history of success in the USHL, including 4 Clark Cup Championships, 4 Anderson Cup Championships, and 54 alumni drafted to the National Hockey League, including Stanley Cup Champions Kyle Okposo, Alex Chiasson, Trevor Lewis, Davis Drewiske, and Erik Cole. The organization is committed to developing young players on and off the ice, preparing them for a future in collegiate and professional careers. Known for their passionate fan base, the Bucs play their home games at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, a multi-sport complex in West Des Moines, Iowa.
To learn more, visit www.bucshockey.com or follow the Bucs on social media: @bucshockey on X and Instagram, @desmoinesbuccaneers on TikTok, and Des Moines Buccaneers on Facebook. For more information about ticket packages, including season and group outings, please contact (515) 278-2827.
