Sioux Falls, S.D. – After battling illness this week, the Sioux Falls Stampede struggled in their return to home ice. Ethan Wyttenbach and Javon Moore each netted a goal, while Aiden Wright made another appearance between the pipes.

The Waterloo Black Hawks opened the scoring just 1:37 into the game, but the Stampede quickly responded with an unusual goal from leading scorer Ethan Wyttenbach. On a mini breakaway, Wyttenbach was hooked by a Waterloo player but still managed to send the puck through the legs of the goaltender. At 6:12, the Stampede drew their first penalty of the night but failed to capitalize. From that point on, Waterloo took control of the game, adding goals from Teddy Mallgrave and Brendan McMorrow to take a two-goal lead into the second period.

The Black Hawks extended their lead just 1:42 into the second period, with McMorrow tallying his second goal of the night. Just 23 seconds later, Teddy Townsend netted his first goal, following it up with another at 5:32 to give Waterloo a commanding 6-1 advantage. The Herd attempted to pull goaltender Aiden Wright, but with only an emergency backup available, they were unable to make the change. Midway through the period, the Stampede earned their second power play opportunity when Teddy Mallgrave was called for holding, but they failed to convert. At 12:20, Javon Moore found the back of the net on a setup from linemate Austin Baker. However, just 35 seconds later, Grady Deering added another goal for the Hawks. Waterloo continued their dominance with an eighth goal before the period ended. The Black Hawks outshot the Stampede 14-10 in the second period.

The third period saw little action. At 17:59, Michael Phelan was called for hooking, giving the Stampede their third power play of the night. Just 46 seconds later, goaltender Calvin Vachon was assessed a delay of game penalty for sending the puck over the glass. The Stampede took advantage of the two-man advantage, scoring just as the final buzzer sounded. Forward Reid Varkonyi was credited with the goal.

Goaltender Aiden Wright made 20 saves in net. His record now stands at 16-6-1-0, with his save percentage dipping to .899.

The Stampede return to action tomorrow night at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center as they begin a home-and-home series with the Sioux City Musketeers. The organization will also host a Shoe-and-Boot Drive in partnership with The Good Feet Store. Fans who bring new or gently used shoes to the game will receive a BOGO ticket voucher for select February games.

Tickets for tomorrow night's game can be purchased here.