Junior Hockey: Waterloo runs into hot goalie, falls in playoff opener

“We had a ton of looks,” Waterloo head coach Matt Smaby said. “Their goalie made some big saves. There was chaos around the net. We had chances to pop it. I think if we exceed the effort a little bit from tonight, continue to stay on top of it, continue to stay focused on what it is we have to do and come out like we did, I like our chances.

“We have to do a little bit better job getting in his eyes at times … And I think we have to hunt second chances that are laying around the net.”

Despite the loss and falling behind 1-0 in the best-of-3 series, the third-year head coach said his team was not far off on Monday night.

“We are inches away, a bounce away, moments away,” Smaby said. “It is right there. We just have to stay with it and keep working.”

Neither team found the back of the next in the first period though Waterloo got off to a strong start. The Black Hawks outshot the Stars 14-4 through the first 18 minutes of action before Lincoln rattled off four shots in quick succession to close out the first frame.

The Stars broke the ice with the opening tally of the game with 11:55 remaining in the second period. Lincoln defenseman Ethan Weber wristed a shot on net which forward Jack Pechar deflect by Waterloo netminder Calvin Vachon. Lincoln forward German Yavash was credited with a secondary assist on the goal.

Shortly after Lincoln’s goal, Waterloo earned the game’s first power play with 9:13 to play in the second as officials assessed Lincoln’s Jacob Rombach with a two-minute minor for holding. The Black Hawks failed to capitalize on the man advantage.

Waterloo managed to put a game-high 16 shots on net in the final period, but failed to find the back of the net despite getting a second power play opportunity midway through the frame.

Following the game, Smaby’s postgame message to his team focused less on the loss and more on

“I told the guys after the game it was not that far off from being a totally different game,” Smaby said. “The disappointment is real. You can feel it in the moment, but we have to turn the page fast. We have a job to do and that is the focus for tomorrow.”

Additionally, Smaby’s messaging remained consistent when asked for a comment on officiating.

“Officiating — that is not a concern for me,” Smaby said. “We talked about staying on task and focusing on what it is we can do. That is the only thing we can do. [Officiating] is not even a thought going through my mind.”

Monday night’s officials called just two penalties — both on Lincoln — during the contest. The laissez-faire from the four-man crew earned the ire of Waterloo fans following a number of unpenalized altercations.

Waterloo hosts the Stars again on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. for game two. A Waterloo win would force a winner-takes-all game three on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. A Lincoln win would result in Waterloo’s elimination from the Clark Cup Playoffs.