WATERLOO - It was 22 seconds from perfection.

If game one was any indication of what the Chicago Steel can expect from the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League's East Division finals, the Steel might want to start packing their bags for home.

From start to finish, Waterloo dominated Chicago in a 4-1 victory Wednesday at Young Arena to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five series.

"It is always important to come out in the first game and play really hard. And I think we did that tonight," defenseman John Lee said.

The three-goal victory is misleading as it wasn't that close.

The Black Hawks held the Steel to five shots on net over the final 40 minutes and broke the game open in the third with three goals, including two 13 seconds apart by Siim Liivik and Blake Kessel which made it 3-0.

Kessel had two assists to go with his goal to pace Waterloo. He now has eight playoff points in four games.

His goal with 10 minutes and 9 seconds remaining, giving Waterloo its 3-0 lead, appeared to break Chicago causing for some chippy play down the stretch.

The two teams were whistled for 24 minutes of penalties in the final nine minutes, including a 10-minute misconduct call against Chicago's Brian Dowd.

"That is our goal every game, to break our opponents will," Kessel said. "After we got a couple goals in the third you could see their heads drop a little."

Keegan Meuer made it 4-0 with 45 seconds remaining, and the only blemish on Waterloo's night came when Brian O'Neill broke up Black Hawk goalie Matt DiGirolamo's shutout bid with 22 seconds left.

"We did everything we were supposed to do," DiGirolamo said. "We played a good game. But we did give them a little momentum with that late goal, so we have to come back tommorrow and the next day and be better."

Waterloo won the game with its forecheck as it never allowed the Steel's top playmakers - O'Neill, Simon Olsson and Drew LeBlanc to find space and time to manuever.

The Black Hawks gave up just one shot to the Steel in the second period, and only four in the final 20 minutes.

"Defensively we were pretty good," Black Hawk head coach P.K. O'Handley said. "I think we possessed the puck pretty good. That is a byproduct of forechecking.

"We have to do that. With guys like LeBlanc and O'Neill, I think you have to apply pressure and keep those guys away from the puck."

Like it did often in its first-round series win over Cedar Rapids, Waterloo grabbed the early momentum with its power-play unit.

Nick Larson beat Steel goalie Rob Madore with backhand, top shelf, with 4:05 left in the first period, after being set up nicely by Chad Billins and Kessel.

It was Larson's third power-play goal of the postseason.

But that was all Waterloo could manage against Madore until midway through the third.

As Brock Montpetit was being drugged down from behind in the Steel zone, and an ensuing penalty set to be called, Montpetit managed to shovel the puck ahead to Liivik who beat Madore five-hole for a 2-0 lead.

Kessel scored off a face-off 13 seconds later and the party was on inside 'Party Town'.

Madore turned away 42 shots in a herculein effort, but got little help otherwise as much of the game was played in front of him in the Steel zone.

"He is an unbelievable goalie," Kessel said. "He kept the game close, kept them in it and can win games by himself. That is something we have to be scared of.

"We missed a bunch of shots, opportunities to score more goals. You don't get many scoring chances against him, so we have to bury the ones we get. We definitely can play better."

Game two is set for Friday night in Young Arena at 7:05 p.m.

Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com

Chicago 0 0 1 - 1

Waterloo 1 0 3 - 4

FIRST PERIOD - 1. Waterloo, Nick Larson (Chad Billins, Blake Kessel), 15:55, pp. Penalties - James Knelman, Chi (interference), 6:23; Jan-Mikael Juutilainen, Wat (delay of game), 8:08; Tim Buttery, Chi (delay of game), 8:08; Larson, Wat (tripping), 9:30; Scott Pavelski, Wat (checking from behind), 12:15; Aaron Schmit, Wat (tripping), 14:54; Larson, Wat (roughing), 16:21; Pavelski, Wat (cross checking), 18:58.

SECOND PERIOD - No scoring. Penalties - Schmit, Chi (high sticking), 4:42; Siim Liivik, Wat (tripping), 6:44; Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Wat (roughing), 10:06; Ryan Schnell, Chi (roughing), 10:06; Team, Chi (too many men), 12:22; Knelman, Chi (hooking), 19:38.

THIRD PERIOD - 2. Waterloo, Liivik (Brock Montpetit, Kessel), 9:38; 3. Waterloo, Kessel (Craig Smith), 9:51; 4. Waterloo, Keegan Meuer (Eddie Olczyk, Billins), 19:15; 5. Chicago, Brian O'Neill (Schmit), 19:38. Penalties - John Lee, Wat (interference), 6:09; Max Nicastro, Chi (boarding), 10:27; Brian Dowd, Chi (unsportsmanlike conduct, game misconduct), 11:02; Barron Smith, Chi (checking from behind), 12:42; Liivik, Wat (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:10; Dominic Morrone, Chi (hooking), 16:10; Corey Chakeen, Chi (roughing), 18:20; Larson, Wat (roughing), 18:20.

SHOTS ON GOAL

Chicago 9 1 4 - 14

Waterloo 13 13 20 - 46

Goalies - Chicago, Rob Madore (42 saves). Waterloo, Matt DiGirolamo (13 saves). Referee - Gene Binda. Linesmen - Bryan Pancich, Justin Lyle. Att. - 2,003.