The Milwaukee Power swept the Wausau RiverWolves over the weekend scoring 11 goals after scoring 10 through the first 4 games.
The Power were without goaltender Jackson Broussard as he was called up to play for the Janesville Jets. Milwaukee would turn to second year goaltender Zach Piehl to start Fridays contest. Piehl stared down the Wausau snipers stopping 44 of 48 shots with a big stop on a Wausau breakaway in the 3rd to protect the Power’s one goal lead and eventually claim his first win of the season.
Brady Rossbach would kickstart the Power’s offense on a Playerz Choice Power Play in the 1st period as Teddy Marion from below the goal line would find Rossbach at the top of the slot, Tyler Nelson was credited with the secondary assist. Rossbach would find twine again in the 2nd period off of a Jackson Terpstra rebound in tight on La Forge, Trey Bess would get an assist as well.
Marion would score late in the 2nd off of a cross crease feed from Nelson with Garrett Alton picking up an assist on the play as he kicked the puck off the corner boards to Nelson.
The game was tied entering the 3rd period and wouldn’t take long for the Power to grab the lead with a goal from Alton on the rush with a cross crease pass from Marion with Nelson getting the secondary assist. The RiverWolves would take a 5-minute major penalty and the Power would capitalize with a nearly acquired forward Max Erstad scoring his first NA3HL goal with Rossbach and Nico Piehl assisting. Marion would score his second of the night less than 30 seconds later with Erstad find him from behind the net and Terpstra getting the secondary assist.
Festival Foods 3 Stars & Coach’s Pub Hard Hat Player of the Game
3rd Star Zach Piehl – 2nd Star Brady Rossbach – 1st Star Teddy Marion
Hard Hat – Dalton Saling
In the second game Milwaukee would start rookie goaltender Kirk Davis. He would go on to make some incredible stops facing 39 shots and stoping 37 in his NA3HL debut.
The Power would have their best 1st period of the season as Nico Piehl would open the scoring on a gritty goal off of a rebound from Riley Cassada and Ben Roloff. Erstad would strike in the closing seconds of the period on the rush with a perfect saucer pass from Nelson on a play started by Riley Austin forcing a turnover in the neutral zone.
Nelson would score in the 2nd period on a breakaway after Marion forced a turnover and sprung Nelson behind the Wausau defensemen. The Power took all three penalties in the frame to allow Wausau to claw their way back with two power play goals.
Alton would slam the door on the RiverWolves comeback in the 3rd as he would score twice. The first one he took the puck wide and got the angle to slip by the defenseman below the dots to tuck it in past Snyder, Marion chipped the puck too Alton from the Power end and Daniel Smolen was given an assist as well. Alton’s second scoring chance was thanks to the hustle of Marion to retrieve the dump in by Nelson and found him from below the goal line to tuck it just inside the post.
Festival Foods 3 Stars & Coach’s Pub Hard Hat Player of the Game
3rd Star Tyler Nelson – 2nd Star Garrett Alton – 1st Star Kirk Davis
Hard Hat – Logan Hartje
Milwaukee’s two win weekend puts their record to 3-3 on the season and moves them into 3rd place in the Central Division. The Power take on the 4-0 Rochester Grizzlies next weekend in a home and home series with the top spot in the division on the line.