The Milwaukee Power had a tough January winning only one of seven games with a couple a close contests. This past weekend started with a road loss to the Coulee Region Chill but the Power got back to their winning ways after sweeping the Breezy Point North Stars at home in dramatic fashion.While trailing in the 3rd period of Saturdays game, Chuck Bay would open the scoring for Milwaukee and it unleashed a barrage of teddy bear and stuffed animals onto the ice. Maris Graudins added two goals to tie the game and send it to overtime. Bay would score the game winner just 18 seconds into the overtime period to snap a five game losing streak for Milwaukee. Bay was the 1st star of the night, Graudins the 2nd, and Jake Berry the 3rd with three assists. Ryan Payne was the JS Quality Construction Hard Hat Player of the Game with his defensive efforts.
In the second game against the North Stars, Bay would open the scoring in the second period followed by Nick Roberts and Mason Evans. The former New Ulm Steel, Garrett Alton, got his first Milwaukee goal in the third. Ethan Dabbs, and Ryan Payne added tallies of their own to lift the Power to a 6-4 win. Evans was the 1st star, Alton the 2nd, and Roberts the 3rd. Santana Pinkert would claim his first JS Hard Hat since joining the Power a few weeks ago.
The Central Division is one of two in the NA3HL that has yet to have a team clinch a playoff spot and time is winding down. The Power have six games left starting with the Wausau RiverWolves on the road, then two games against the Coulee Region Chill, and a final three game home stand with the Evansville Thunderbolts. What does this mean for Milwaukee and the playoffs? The Power are in the drivers seat and just need to win four games to clinch a playoff spot if the Wisconsin Whalers manage to win all of their last 13 games. "We have to control what we can in the games we play for the rest of the way," said Austin Keiser, Associate Head Coach. "We don't want to be in a position where we need someone to take a loss for us to make it into the playoffs." "I feel very confident about where we are at as we make our playoff push," said Chase Ernst, President of Hockey Operations. "We didn't have the December and January we would've liked but thats all behind us and we have to live and work in the now with whats in front of us to get into the playoffs." A big part of the Power getting back to their winning ways has been the return of Jake Berry from the NAHL. As well as Chuck Bay coming back from an injury that took him out of the line up in early December. Bay had three goals and Berry five assists in the two games against the North Stars and they look to continue battling for being the top Milwaukee point scorer the rest of the way.
