ADMIRALS CONTINUE TO HAUNT GRIFFINS

MILWAUKEE – Kip Miller had two goals for Grand Rapids while Cal O’Reilly also netted a couple for the Milwaukee Admirals, one of which included the overtime blow to hand the Griffins a 3-2 loss Sunday evening at the Bradley Center.

Milwaukee continued to haunt Grand Rapids by claiming their 11th victory in the past 12 meetings (including playoffs) dating back to March 15, 2006 with the lone Griffins’ win coming in shootout fashion on December 13th, 2006 in Milwaukee. Six of those 11 losses have been decided by a single goal.

After concluding a four-games-in-five-nights stretch, the Griffins will have a week of practice to prepare for a weekend trip to Manitoba, beginning Friday when they battle the Moose in the first of two games at 8:30 p.m.

The Admirals struck first with the only goal of the opening frame at 7:38. Brandon Segal lost the puck as he was dancing in towards the Griffins’ net, but it bounced to Ville Koistinen at the left circle where he blasted a shot inside the right goal post past Jimmy Howard during a power play.

Thanks to two goals from Miller just 1:11 apart, the Griffins took a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Miller first got his team on the board at 10:37 after he found a loose puck during a goal mouth skirmish and snapped a shot by Karl Goehring with help from Evan McGrath and Adam Keefe.

Number nine then gave Grand Rapids a one-goal lead at 11:48 during a 2-on-1 break that presented no opportunity to pass, so instead Miller skated to the right dot and ripped a laser into the far side of the net.

But the contest was locked at two goals apiece at the second intermission as O’Reilly scored the equalizer for Milwaukee, threading a backhander between Howard’s pads at 13:25 after receiving a pass from Koistinen and cutting in behind the Griffins’ defense.

Neither team was able to light the lamp in the final period, sending the game into overtime where O’Reilly delivered the final blow at 4:24 on a Griffins’ turnover.

Howard finished the tilt with 29 saves while Goehring stood on his head at the other end to stop 40.