Cleveland, OH – Coming off a loss the night before, the Milwaukee Admirals made sure to start with an offensive pressure early in the game. The Lake Erie Monsters matched with their own intensity and were able to break up Admiral offensive attempts. Throughout the first, a rapid succession of turnovers and incomplete passes hindered both teams in gaining the advantage. With a mere eight seconds left in the first, Monsters #39 Trevor Cheek got one in.
With one up going into the second, the Monsters were ready to battle. They came out with focus and turned up the heat. The Monsters set up a plethora of chances and took the offensive control. Six minutes in, #4 Reid Petryk got an unassisted goal adding another point to their 2-0 lead. The Admirals lost their composure and gave the home team the advantage. Both #17 Kenny Ryan and #18 Andrew Agozzino got great shots off, narrowly missing the goal.
Down two goals going into the third, the Admirals jolted out of the locker room looking to even it out. They were not ready to back down. Just two minutes in, the Admiral got on the board thanks to #21 Triston Grant. With the increased speed, the Admirals were repeatedly called for off-sides, eager to get out in front of the play. Later in the period, #15 Gary Steffes of Milwaukee ties it up. From start to finish, the Admirals owned the third period; they took control early and fought for their chance to stay in it. Although the Monsters pulled back, they played cohesively and set up some great chances.
The Monsters went into overtime with a man advantage but were not able to capitalize. Once the Admirals returned to full strength, they made quick work of it and took the overtime win.
The Milwaukee Admirals defeated the Lake Erie Monsters for the last regular season match up. These teams have faced off ten times and have each won five. These rivals are clearly an even match and can look forward to more down the road.
In his postgame statement, Coach Chynoweth emphasized the Monsters’ need to focus and regroup. With playoffs drawing near, the team needs to re-engage and be more mentally prepared. He also stated that the power play did not generate enough results and they lost little battles during the third.
Next Match-up: The Lake Erie Monsters take on the Toronto Marlies on Friday, April 3rd at 7:30pm at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio for Autism Awareness Night.
