WATERLOO - Tyler Zepeda was preparing for a Minnesota High School Elite League game Thursday when he got the call.

Angelo Vrachnas was a player the Waterloo Black Hawks couldn't get to go back home to St. James, N.Y.

Vrachnas and Zepeda made a case to make Waterloo their temporary homes for the unforseeable future Friday.

Vrachnas and Zepeda each had a goal and an assist as the Black Hawks stomped the Des Moines Buccaneers, 6-4, in front of a sellout crowd of 3,447 at Young Arena.

Mike Fink also had a goal and assist for Waterloo.

Vrachnas and Zepeda were given opportunities to play because Waterloo is shorthanded with four players at the World Junior A Challenge, veteran Scott Pavelski serving a suspension and defenseman Michael Montrose unavailable because of a family emergency.

"We were forced into filling some roles, and that is what we did," Black Hawks head coach P.K. O'Handley described.

"Tyler played really, really well," O'Handley added. "It's going to be hard to let him go. Hopefully we don't have to make that decision.

"Boy, can he skate. It's been a long time since we've seen a skater like that, a pure skater.

"Angelo has hung in there. He doesn't have a full-time job with our team, but he's been hanging around, won't go away and is making it hard to push him away."

The Black Hawks (6-3-1) showed no residual effects from their 5-1 loss to Indiana on Wednesday as they jumped on Des Moines (2-5-3) early, with Jordan Samuels-Thomas and Ben Miller scoring 35 seconds apart three minutes into the contest.

Waterloo increased its lead to 3-0 on a Fink goal before the Buccaneers finally found their feet.

"If you look at time of possession and scoring chances, we didn't play that well," O'Handley said. "They probably out-chanced us and certainly out-possessed us, but we were fortunate to get some goals early, get the lead and continue to build on it throughout the game."

Zepeda scored in the second period to make it 4-2 after Des Moines had climbed back into the game with a pair of power-play goals.

His assist on Derek Arnold's goal 5 minutes and 35 seconds into the third might have been prettier.

On a two-on-one, Zepeda skipped a pass over the stick of a Buc defender. Arnold held onto the puck until the last possible moment before wristing it past Buccaneer goalie Aaron Crandall.

Vrachnas scored with 5:15 to go on an assist from Fink.

Both Vrachnas and Zepeda attended Waterloo's try-out camp. Zepeda, who is on the Black Hawks' Futures List and can play up to six games before Waterloo has to put them on their active roster or return him to Hill-Murray High School, was told to go back and play for the defending Minnesota AA state champions.

"I skipped my Elite league game because I'd rather play here," Zepeda said. "I hope to (make a case to stay in Waterloo). I hope I did. We will see what happens."

Zepeda will play again tonight when the Black Hawks play at Omaha.

Vrachnas stuck around and participated in Waterloo's preseason camp, but didn't make the final roster. Instead of going home, he stuck around hoping to get an opportunity.

"It's just hard work," Vrachnas said. "I haven't been part of the team, wasn't rostered, but they said they'd give me a shot. I never gave up, kept practicing, going to the gym on my free time and hard work pays off.

"It felt great to contribute. I couldn't have done it without my teammates. They're a great group of guys."

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

Des Moines 1 1 2 - 4

Waterloo 3 1 2 - 6

FIRST PERIOD - 1. Waterloo, Jordan Samuels-Thomas (unassisted), 2:11; 2. Waterloo, Ben Miller (Steven Howshaw, Eriah Hayes), 2:46; 3. Waterloo, Mike Fink (Angelo Vrachnas), 11:07; 4. Des Moines, Nick Pryor (Brett Bruneteau, Yasin Cisse), 14:34, pp. Penalties - Dan Sova, Wat (interference), 12:44; Andrew Panzarella, DM (slashing), 15:42; Wey, Wat (roughing), 17:09.

SECOND PERIOD - 5. Des Moines, HT Lenz (unassisted), 9:36, pp; 6. Waterloo, Tyler Zepeda (Keegan Meuer), 9:58. Penalties - JP Burkemper, DM (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:40; Chris Student, Wat (interference), 5:40; Meuer, Wat (hooking), 6:53; Sova, Wat (cross checking), 7:55; Ryan Hill, Wat (cross checking), 10:44; Josh Myers, DM (tripping), 13:41; Ryan McKiernan, DM (roughing), 14:54; Cisse, DM (tripping), 19:26.

THIRD PERIOD - 7. Waterloo, Derek Arnold (Zepeda, Sova), 5:35; 8. Des Moines, Alex Chiasson (unassisted), 10:17; 9. Waterloo, Vrachnas (Fink), 14:45; 10. Des Moines, Bruneteau (Cisse, Walters), 18:20. Penalties - Brock Montpetit, Wat (hooking), 8:11; Meuer, Wat (slashing), 9:51; Bench, DM (too many men), 9:51; Chris Student, Wat (slashing), 11:01; Chiasson, DM (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:28; Hoshaw, Wat (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:28; Zepeda, Wat (delay of game), 16:52; Lenz, DM (delay of game), 16:52.

SHOTS ON GOAL

Des Moines 14 8 10 - 32

Waterloo 10 7 12 - 29

Goalies - Des Moines, Aaron Crandall (26 saves). Waterloo, Parker Milner (28 saves). Referee - Matt Miller. Linesmen - Dan Cohen, Jud Ritter. Att. - 3,447.