Milwaukee Snaps Skid, Tops Wolves
Mar 29, 2009
Mike Santorelli recorded his first career hat-trick to lead the Admirals past Chicago Sunday afternoon, 5-2.
The win snapped a four-game winless streak for the Admirals. More importantly, the Admirals clinched the team’s third West Division Title in the last six years.
Santorelli gave the Admirals a 1-0 lead with 5:53 to play in the first period. After the Wolves turned the puck over at neutral ice, Santorelli fed a pass to Hugh Jessiman. Jessiman carried the puck to the left wing boards and fired a shot that was stopped by Chicago goalie Ondrej Pavelec’s left leg. However, Santorelli was there for the rebound goal, his 25th of the season. Jessiman notched the lone assist.
The Wolves tied the game just 2:07 later when Brett Skinner’s shot from the left point cleared goalie Drew MacIntyre’s glove to even the game at one.
Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead when James Sixsmith sent a pass to the left corner for Santorelli. Santorelli passed to the slot where Ian McKenzie, while falling to his belly, slammed the puck past Pavelec for his first AHL goal at 3:20. Santorelli and Sixsmith recorded the helpers.
Santorelli’s second goal of the game, a power play goal at 7:10, made it 3-1. Santorelli held the puck in the left corner and spotted Cody Franson skating toward the net from the right point. Santorelli’s pass went off Wolves defenseman Jamie Rivers into the net. It was Santorelli’s 12th power play goal. Franson and Robert Dietrich were awarded the assists.
Chicago scored a power play goal of its own to make it 3-2 at 9:53. Again, Skinner shot the puck from the left point. This time, Joe Motzko tipped it into the net for his 26th goal of the year.
The Admirals regained the two-goal cushion with 2:28 to play in the second period when Dietrich held the puck at the left point. He drew nearly all of the defenders to him then passed to Franson at the right circle. Franson slapped a pass to Oren Eizenman in the slot. With a defender on his back, Eizenman directed the puck into the net for his second career AHL goal and second in as many nights. Franson and Dietrich recorded the assists.
Santorelli completed his first career hat-trick, the third for Milwaukee this season, when he scored an empty net goal with 52 seconds to play. Jessiman, again, recorded the assist.
MacIntyre stopped 31 shots to earn his 31st win of the season.
The Admirals travel to Quad City Wednesday for a 7:00 pm game with the Flames. They will be back home to the Bradley Center on Friday, April 3rd at 7:00 pm against the Lake Erie Monsters. Fans can buy tickets for any Admirals game, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Groups of ten or more people receive a minimum of $2 off of each ticket. For more information or to order group tickets call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550.
