WILD FALL TO ADMIRALS, 5-2
Nov 6, 2021
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Iowa Wild (4-3-1-0; 9 pts.) fell to the Milwaukee Admirals (3-4-0-0; 6 pts.) by a score of 5-2. Saturday night’s contest was the first of an eventual ten games between Iowa and Milwaukee this season.
After a first period where the Wild outshot the Admirals 20-8, the scoreboard sat empty at 0-0. Milwaukee goaltender Connor Ingram (40 saves) was busy, stopping all 20 shots on goal he faced.
Admirals forward and captain Cole Schneider directed a shot from Milwaukee defenseman Matt Donovan with his skate and past Wild goaltender Dereck Baribeau (26 saves) for the game’s first goal at 8:50 of the second period.
With a two-man advantage for Milwaukee winding down, Schneider struck again less than four minutes later at 12:26 of the second stanza with yet another deflection off his skate and in. Schneider’s second goal of the game gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.
A short while later, Wild center Marco Rossi found Iowa winger Will Bitten all alone in the neutral zone to spring Bitten on a breakaway. Bitten fired a shot past Ingram at 14:40 of the second period to pull the Wild within one. Following Bitten’s breakaway effort, the score stood at 2-1 in favor of the Admirals.
Wild defenseman Jon Lizotte approached the left post in the Admirals zone and found Iowa leading scorer Nick Swaney in the slot for the Wild’s second goal of the game at 18:52 of the second period. Swaney’s goal tied the game 2-2, with a secondary assist from center Mason Shaw.
At the end of the second period the score was locked up, 2-2. Shots in the second were 13-12 with Milwaukee holding the slight edge, but the Wild led 32-21 in total shots through two periods.
Once more it was a skate that factored into Milwaukee’s third goal. Donovan centered from the left wall off an Iowa skate in front and past Baribeau at 8:55 of the third period. The tally was the third consecutive Milwaukee goal to deflect off a skate and in, and it gave the Admirals a 3-2 lead.
Admirals forward Egor Afanasyev, scored on a quick turnaround shot at 13:00 of the third period to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 4-2.
In an effort to replicate the previous night’s success with the extra attacker, Iowa Head Coach Tim Army pulled Baribeau after a Milwaukee penalty to give the Wild a six-on-four advantage. However, at 16:33 of the third period, former Iowa Wild center Mitch McLain scored a shorthanded empty net goal to give the Admirals a 5-2 lead.
At the conclusion of the game, Milwaukee emerged with a 5-2 victory despite being outshot 42-31 by the Wild. Shots in the third period were 10 apiece. On the power play the Wild were unable to score on their seven chances while the Admirals converted on one of five opportunities.
Next up on the docket for the Wild, Iowa travels to Rockford for a duel against the IceHogs on Nov. 10, 2021. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. Fans can purchase single-game tickets through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com. Group tickets (10 or more), suites, Wild 365 memberships or premium tickets can be purchased by contacting the Iowa Wild Ticket Department at 515-564-8700 or tickets@iowawild.com.
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