Admirals put up 9 goals to take down Stars

AUSTIN, TX -- Everything clicked for the Milwaukee Admirals Saturday as they cruised to a 9-1 win at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

The nine goals are the most Milwaukee has scored this season. The Ads finished with three power play goals in five tries. Milwaukee played a disciplined game as they only had to kill one penalty in the game.

The win was the 178th for Admirals head coach Dean Evason, tying him with Lane Lambert for third on the Ads all-time list. Only Phil Wittliff (378 wins) and Claude Noel (181) are in front of Evason.

Ads goalie Marek Mazanec stopped 30 shots to earn the victory.

The Admirals first goal was the result of a scramble in front of Texas goalie Maxime Lagace. Mike Liambas was able to poke the puck into the net for his second goal of the season at 3:39 with assists going to Adam Payerl and Adam Pardy.

Milwaukee made it 2-0 with a power play goal at 8:05 of the first period. Trevor Murphy fired a slapshot from the top of the left circle past Lagace for his fifth goal of the season and second on the power play. Frederick Gaudreau and Reid Boucher notched the assists.

Boucher scored a power play goal of his own at 9:56 of the first period to stretch the Ads lead to 3-0. Gaudreau won the draw in the left circle and moved the puck into the slot where Boucher snapped it over the glove of Lagace for his second goal, and second power play goal of the season with Milwaukee.

Lagace was pulled after Milwaukee’s third goal with 10:04 to play in the first period and replaced by Landon Bow. The Ads scored one more in the first period. Vladislav Kamenev held the puck at the left point and spied Harry Zolnierczyk camped on the right post. Kamenev hit Zolnierczyk with a perfect pass and a tap-in to make it 4-0 at 14:52. Zolnierczyk’s fourth goal of the season was solely assisted by Kamenev.

Boucher scored his second of the game at 9:27 of the second period. The Ads caught the Stars after an errant pass in the neutral zone. Murphy passed the puck to Matt White who skated into the Stars right circle. He fed a pass to the left circle for Boucher to bury for his third goal with Milwaukee.

Admirals defenseman Alex Carrier fired a wrist shot from the middle of the blue line at 14:47 of the second period which was deflected into the goal by Cody Bass. The goal was Bass’ second of the season and gave the Ads a 6-0 lead. Carrier and Kamenev recorded the assists.

The Stars broke the shutout at 19:15 of the second period. Milwaukee couldn’t clear the puck out of its defensive zone. Jason Dickinson grabbed the puck above the Ads right circle and found Travis Morin all alone in front of Mazanec. Morin tucked in his tenth goal of the year with 44.1 seconds left in the second period.
The Admirals Justin Florek scored his fourth goal of the season with a shot from the left circle that rode up the stick of the Texas goalie into the net at 3:14 of the third period. Pontus Aberg assisted on the goal that gave Milwaukee a 7-1 lead.

Milwaukee’s Trevor Smith scored his eighth goal of the season, with an assist from Florek, at 10:06 of the third period to make the score 8-1. Florek recorded the assist.

Zolnierczyk added a power play goal, assisted by Smith at 17:21 of the third period.

Milwaukee travels to Grand Rapids to play the Griffins Wed., Dec. 21. The Admirals return home Mon., Dec. 26 to host the Chicago Wolves at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.