The 2024-25 season was a record-setting one for the Lincoln Stars. They led the USHL in goals (272) and scored five-or-more goals in a game 27 times.
However, they were unable to light the lamp in the final two games of the Western Conference Finals against the Waterloo Black Hawks, falling 3-0 Thursday night at Young Arena. The Hawks take the series 3-1 and will face the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the Clark Cup Final beginning May 9.
The Stars, who won the Anderson Cup for having the best overall regular-season record in the USHL, had no answer for Hawks goaltender Carter Casey over the series’ final two games. Casey had 27 saves in Game 4, the same number as in Game 3. Lincoln fired 14 shots at him in the third period Thursday, but could not find the back of the net.
Kaeden Hawkins scored for the sixth consecutive game, putting Waterloo ahead 16:19 into the opening frame. Hunter Ramos set him up with a feed across the slot, and Hawkins buried a power play one-timer from the right dot.
The goal ties him with Muskegon’s David Deputy for the post-season lead with eight.
At 11:28 of the second period, the Hawks netted another power-play goal, and Hawkins was involved once again. He tipped Dylan Compton’s half slap shot, with Yan Shostak making the save, but Grady Deering pounced on the rebound near the top of the crease to stretch the lead to 2-0.
Deering later added the final goal of the night with just over two minutes to go, scoring into an empty net from near his own blue line.
Special teams played a big role in the Hawks’ success during this series. Waterloo went 2-for-5 on the man advantage in Game 4, while the penalty-kill was a perfect 5-for-5. Waterloo denied all 12 Stars power plays during the series.
This will be the seventh time the Black Hawks have played for the USHL’s post-season title during Waterloo’s junior era. The Hawks are seeking to bring home the championship for the first time since 2004, and are making their first appearance in the Final since falling to the Indiana Ice in 2014.