MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Admirals exploded for a season-high seven goals, including two from Taylor Beck, on their way to a 7-4 win over the Chicago Wolves in the first game of the season in the Amtrak Rivalry.
An eventful first period saw the Admirals get on the board first when Kevin Henderson picked up his third of the season just 3:44 into the game. Henderson took a pass from Victor Bartley and tipped a backhand over the shoulder of Chicago netminder Eddie Lack.
After the Wolves Jordan Schroeder tied the game up at the 5:11 mark, Milwaukee scored twice within a minute to grab a 3-1 lead. The first came from Beck off a great pass from Chris Mueller during a 2-on-1 at 6:47. Fifty-nine seconds later Austin Watson created a turnover behind the Chicago net and fed a crashing Patrick Cehlin for his team-best fifth tally of the year.
The Wolves pulled within one on a power-play goal by former Admiral Mark Matheson, who beat Ads netminder Magus Hellberg five-hole at the 9:55 mark.
However, Milwaukee responded for their fourth of the period, when Scott Valentine fired a shot from the right point that worked its way through traffic and past Lack. Mueller and Beck earned assists on the play.
Chicago pulled back within one when Brett Sterling sent a wrister over Hellberg’s left shoulder at 8:57. However, any momentum that the Wolves had from that tally was negated when Austin Watson scored for the Ads with just nine seconds left in the second to push the lead back to two.
Beck and Mike Moore added third period goals to finish the scoring for Milwaukee.
Beck (2g-1a) and Patrick Cehlin (1g-2a) each posted three point nights to lead the an Admirals offense that had six players tally multi-point nights.
Jeremy Smith stopped 14 of 15 shots to earn the win in relief of Hellberg.
The Admirals kick off a season long seven-game road trip tomorrow night in Rockford at 7:05 pm. The Ads aren’t home again until they host Chicago on Friday, November 30.