The Power hit the road again last weekend for two games in Alexandria, Minnesota. This was the first of two series this season that the Power off against the Blizzard. Both teams were coming off a win from the weekend before, with the Power beating the Jr. Blues on the road and the Blizzard winning on home ice.
On Friday night, the Power put Anthony Maiorca in goal while the Blizzard would go with Joey Greilich, former member of the Power. The first half of the period was quiet; both teams had about four shots. It wasn’t until the last five minutes when things started heating up. Michael Dalaly scored the first goal of the game unassisted to give Milwaukee the lead. However, just under a minute later the Blizzard tied up the game with 4:41 left in the period. Unfortunately for the Power, the Blizzard persisted and scored once more to take the lead before the end of the frame.
Going into the second period, the Blizzard had outshot the Power 19-7, but the Power would respond. Easton Nick would get his first NA3HL goal on the power play, assisted by Dalaly and Jack Wojnowski. After the Power tied up the game, the Blizzard quickly picked up momentum and scored back-to-back about halfway through the period. At this point, the shots on goal were tied at seven, showing the Power’s perseverance. With just under six minutes left in the period, the Blizzard scored once more, extending their lead to three. Despite the Power staying alive, Alexandria scored one last goal during the second period with exactly one minute left.
The Power continued to fight and defended the net for the majority of the third period. Nearing the end of the game, Dalaly scored with an assist by Trent Van Gels and Dominic Martinetti, decreasing the Blizzard’s lead to three. With only a couple minutes left, Alexandria scored twice more and won the game 8-3. However, with the late goal by Dalaly, it’s clear to see that the Power never gave up.
On Saturday, the Power looked to split the series and leave the weekend with a win. The Power started Spencer Northway in net and the Blizzard started Andrew Tuttle. Compared to the night before, Saturday’s game had a quick start. Just over two minutes into the period, the Blizzard took a 1-0 lead. However, Mason Ausmus tied the game about three minutes later with assists by Nate Stone and Max Erstad. Halfway through the first, the Blizzard took back the lead. The remainder of the period was quiet, and the Power were only down by one at the end of the first.
The first penalty of the game occurred at the beginning of the second, which led to a power play goal by the Blizzard. Regardless of this, the Power ensured Alexandria would not score for the rest of the period. Both teams ended the period with eleven shots each. Five minutes into the third, Ausmus scored a shorthanded goal with an assist by Stone and Colin McMahon, decreasing the Blizzard’s lead to one. Penalties started rolling in during the last half of the period and, unfortunately, the Blizzard scored on a power play. The game wasn’t over yet as Erstad scored with a little over three minutes left in the game. It was an exhilarating last few minutes for the Power; Northway was pulled and Milwaukee had an extra player on the ice. Although the Power had great scoring chances they fell to the Blizzard with a 3-4 loss.
The team has a week to recover before heading back on the ice for two home games against the undefeated Rochester Grizzlies. Catch us on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 3:30 p.m. for our “Stick It to Cancer” awareness game and Sunday, Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m. for the Milwaukee Power’s Halloween Party!
Story by Julia Woodcock
