MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Admirals fell to the Peoria Rivermen 3-2 in a shootout Sunday evening, January 13th at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
After going blow for blow through three periods and overtime the teams went to a shootout which the Rivermen won on a Sergey Andronov goal in the fourth round.
Both teams found the back of the net in the first period with the Admirals striking first.
The first shot of the game for Milwaukee resulted in an early lead. Ben Ryan took a pass off the face-off from Victor Bartley and sent a wrister past Rivermen goalie Mike McKenna for his first goal of the year. The goal was originally waved off as it appeared to have come off the cross-bar, but then was reviewed and given to the Admirals just 1:24 into the game.
It was the first ever replay used by the officials at the BMOBC.
Less than three minutes later Peoria forward Derek Nesbitt scored a power play goal to even the score at one. Nesbitt slashed backdoor and took a pass from Adam Cracknell before beating Ads goalie Jeremy Smith.
After giving up the early goal Smith steadied the ship and made 12 key saves to keep the Ads level through the first frame.
Both teams tightened up their respective defenses in the second period by limiting scoring opportunities for their opponents. Peoria almost broke the deadlock when TJ Hensick got in behind two Admirals defenders for a breakaway against Smith but was shutdown by the Milwaukee goalie.
Peoria took a 2-1 lead early in the third when Cracknell redirected a Brent Regner shot toward goal. Smith was unable to adjust in time to block the redirect and it went past him less than three minutes into the period.
Milwaukee’s Taylor Beck scored off a wrister to even the score at two, just minutes later. Ads forward Michael Latta passed it cross-ice to Beck, who fired it past McKenna before he could slide back to cover the backdoor.
Peoria had a golden opportunity at the end of regulation and the beginning of overtime as the Ads took a too many men on the ice penalty. However, the penalty kill was up to the challenge, thanks in large part to the performance of Smith, who denied the Rivermen on all nine shots in OT setting the stage for the shoot-out.
In spite of suffereing the shoot-out loss, Smith gave a valiant effort making 37 saves and keeping the Admirals in it throughout.
Three out of the last four home games have gone to a shootout with their lone victory coming against Grand Rapids last Sunday.
The Ads will be playing next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, on the road against the Abbotsford Heat. They will be returning to the BMO Harris Bradley Center the following Wednesday to take on the Houston Aeros at 7:00 pm.