Milwaukee, WI—Luke Evangelist posted his first career multi-goal game, but it wasn’t enough as the Admirals dropped a 4-3 decision to the Iowa Wild on Friday night at Panther Arena.
Those two goals boosted Evangelista into the Admirals scoring lead with 11 points (4g-7a) through the team’s first 11 games. Devin Cooley suffered his first loss of the season in net for Milwaukee, stopping 26 of the 30 shots he faced.
The Wild got the only goal of the first period courtesy of a Joe Hicketts one-timer 8:17 into the game.
Evangelista tied things up at one exactly one minute into the second period. Stationed in front of the net, he took a no-look pass from Cole Schneider and beat Iowa goalie Zane McIntyre over his left shoulder.
Iowa regained the lead at the 4:08 mark of the sandwich frame on a Mitchell Chaffee goal, but once again the Admirals responded tying the game at two just 34 later on Evangelista’s second of the game. With Iowa down a man, Evangelista uncorked a one-timer from the top of the right circle that snuck in the near side post.
However, the Wild’s Nic Petan would give them a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish when he scored his first of the season with 3:37 remaining the second. Michael Milne made it 4-2 when he gather a rebound just to the right of Ads goalie Devin Cooley and buried it for a two-goal advantage.
Kiefer Sherwood brought the Admirals back within one with 4:09 to play in the third when he took a pass at his own blueline, skated through the neutral zone and into the Wild zone before sending a quick wrister from the top of the circles that went post-and-in. It was his second goal with the Admirals.
The Admirals pulled Cooley for the 90 seconds of the game in favor of an extra attacker, but were unable to find the equalizer.
The Admirals will have a rare Saturday night off before heading down to the Allstate Arena to take on the Chicago Wolves on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. The team’s next home game will be Saturday, November 19th at 6 pm against the Wild.
