CHAMPS! Ice rally to win Clark Cup

The Ice hoist the Clark Cup after their 3-2 win in Waterloo.

The Indiana Ice produced a perfect ending to a perfect season.

Down a goal going into the third, the Ice rallied with two third-period tallies, vaulting themselves to a Clark Cup championship.

Brian Pinho scored from the right-wing circle on a drop pass from Aidan Muir with 2:15 left in the third period, breaking a tie and giving the Ice a 3-2 victory and the franchise's second Clark Cup.

Pinho's goal came off the rush, with Muir carrying the puck up the right wing, dropping the puck and going in to screen goalie Cal Petersen. Pinho fired and beat Peterson under his right pad, just inside the post. Jason Pawloski made a pair of big saves in goalmouth scrambles from there, and Muir dove to clear Waterloo's last-ditch effort with 12 seconds left.

Earlier in the third, Alex Talcott tied the game, burying a rebound that came from Joe Sullivan's stick. The Talcott-Sullivan-Tyler Pham line was one of the team's best in the series, and carried the play again.

The Ice trailed 2-1 going into the third despite carrying the play for much of the first two periods. Waterloo scored the first goal of the game -- for the first time in the series -- just 3:40 in when Patrick Russell scored on a rebound. Mitch Hults tied it up with his fourth goal in as many games at 11:21 of the first, batting a rebound of Pinho's shot out of the air and in.

The 2014 Clark Cup champions

Waterloo led 2-1 when Jake Horton intercepted a clearing pass at the blueline, and immediately fed Zach Sanford in front of the net for a tip-in goal. It was Sanford's third goal in the last two games.

Ice goaltender Jason Pawloski made 33 saves in the victory. The Ice outshot Waterloo 44-35.

Pawloski was also named Clark Cup Playoffs MVP for his efforts. 

It was the Ice's second Clark Cup title -- joining one won in 2009. It was the ninth champinoship for an Indianapolis hockey team -- joining the 1942 & 1950 Capitals (AHL), 1958 Chiefs (IHL), 1982 & 1983 Checkers (CHL), 1990 Ice (IHL) and 2000 Ice (CHL).

We'll have more looking at the game and the season after returning from Waterloo!

Box score
IndianaIce.com
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier 
USHL.com (with YouTube links to several interviews)