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Jackson Cates Keeps Black Hawks Streak Rolling

By Tom Robinson, 01/03/18, 2:30PM MST

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Changes at the top in NAHL and NA3HL

Waterloo scoring leader Jackson Cates led the team to three wins in four days, extending the Black Hawks’ United States Hockey League winning streak to four games.

Cates had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over the Omaha Lancers on Thursday.

After assisting on a goal in a 4-3 win over the Lincoln Stars Friday, Carter had a goal and an assist Sunday in a 5-2 victory over the Des Moines Buccaneers.

Cates has two goals and five assists during the four-game winning streak. The Minnesota-Duluth recruit from Stillwater, Minnesota has 11 goals and 11 assists in 26 games to rank 10th in the USHL in points.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES: The North American Hockey League Central Division and the North American 3 Hockey League West Division underwent leadership changes during the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s.

The Minnesota Wilderness shut out the Minnesota Magicians 6-0 Sunday for their sixth straight win. The three-win weekend put the Wilderness in the NAHL Central Division lead.

It was a pair of Minnesota natives that made the difference. Connor Poczos, from Austin, made his Wilderness debut with a 25-save shutout and Eric Gotz, from Hermantown, broke a scoreless tie 31 seconds into the third period.

Another Minnesotan, Trevor Woytcke of Mound, scored both goals as the New Ulm Steel took over the NA3HL West Division lead with Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Granite City Lumberjacks.

Ryan Kenny had 30 saves in the win.

BREAK TIME: The Eastern Hockey League returns Jan. 5 for its first games since Dec. 18.

Coming out of the break, the New Hampshire Avalanche, Boston Junior Rangers, Connecticut RoughRiders and Philadelphia Revolution hold division leads.

New Hampshire is 25-6-1 and already closing in on a New England Division title with a 21-point lead.

The Junior Rangers are 25-6 for a five-point lead in the Boston Division.

Connecticut is 18-13-1 to lead the Central Division by 14 points.

The Revolution has the league’s best record at 28-3-1 to lead the East Division by seven points over another Philadelphia team, the Little Flyers.

The Little Flyers have the league’s top two scorers.

Alex Ochterbeck has 37 goals and 32 assists in 31 games. Joey Savel is second with 21 goals and 41 assists.

New Hampshire’s Nick Sorgio has a league-best 1.44 goals against average.

COLLEGE COMMITMENTS: Omaha goalie Zach Driscoll has committed to return home to Minnesota to play college hockey at Bemijdi State University.

Driscoll, from Apple Valley, ranks second in the USHL with a 1.89 goals against average while ranking fifth in save percentage at .921. He previously played at St. Cloud State University before returning to junior hockey.

Kip Hoffmann, captain of the NAHL’s Janesville Jets, has committed to play at Robert Morris College.

Hoffman, from Huntley, Illinois, has played 168 career NAHL games over four seasons.

ONE-TIMERS: Defenseman Jared Kucharek had a goal and six assists for the Madison Capitols last week in his second, third and fourth games since joining the USHL team from Omaha. … The Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey will conduct its first all-star game Jan. 10 at Stephen C. West Ice Arena in Breckenridge, Colorado, featuring six skaters from each team and the league’s top four goaltenders.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc. Photo courtesy of Hickling Images

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