SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

MILWAUKEE – Joe Hicketts scored his first professional goal 1:53 into overtime as the Grand Rapids Griffins won their third consecutive game, defeating the Central Division-leading Milwaukee Admirals 4-3 on Saturday at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

The Griffins (8-4-0-0) made the most of their opportunities early on, scoring three times on seven first-period shots only to surrender two goals in a 29-second span late in the second and the game-tying tally with 1:14 remaining in regulation to force the extra session. Eddie Pasquale turned away 34-of-37 shots to earn his first win in a Grand Rapids uniform.

Colin Campbell started the scoring for the Griffins 5:56 into the opening period when he swatted Marek Mazanec’s clearing attempt up the middle out of mid-air and fired a snapshot from near the top of the right circle high to the glove side.

Mitch Callahan capitalized on the power play to give Grand Rapids a two-goal edge at the 9:42 mark. Martin Frk kept Adam Pardy’s backhanded clearing attempt in at the right point and blasted a slapshot forcing a right pad save, with Callahan racing in along the left side to bury the rebound into an open net.

Louis-Marc Aubry added another 40 seconds later when his pass intended for Evgeny Svechnikov in front deflected off the outstretched stick of Jack Dougherty and past a sliding Mazanec to give the Griffins a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Milwaukee (7-2-1-1) peppered Pasquale’s goal with 19 shots in the middle frame, but was kept off the scoresheet until Kevin Fiala’s slapshot from the left point deflected off the stick of Matt White in the high slot and dipped low to the stick side at the 17:16 mark for his team-high sixth goal of the campaign.

The Admirals cut the deficit to one 29 seconds later. Fiala fanned on a pass at the right point, but Pardy retrieved the loose puck and stickhandled past three Grand Rapids skaters before placing a wrist shot from the right circle into the top left corner.

Milwaukee used its timeout and pulled Mazanec for the extra attacker with 1:42 remaining in regulation. The move paid off when Fiala’s wrist shot from the top of the right circle went off the glove of Pasquale while Adam Payerl was able to get the couple of whacks at the rebound and push the puck past the Grand Rapids netminder with 1:14 on the clock to rescue a point for the hosts.

The Griffins started the extra session with Callahan, Ben Street and Robbie Russo while the Admirals countered with Fiala, Trevor Smith and Alexandre Carrier. Grand Rapids snatched the extra point at the 1:53 mark when another ill-advised clearing attempt from Mazanec was kept in by Hicketts at the left point, who worked his way down to the goal line and sent a pass in the direction of Tomas Nosek in front that glanced off the stick of Frederick Gaudreau and in to snap Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak.

Grand Rapids converted on 1-of-5 power play opportunities while the penalty kill finished a perfect 6-for-6. Mazanec stopped 22-of-26 shots in a losing effort.

The Griffins return to Van Andel Arena for games on Wednesday and Friday against the Texas Stars. Both contests start at 7 p.m.

Notes: Grand Rapids is 7-0 this season when scoring on the power play and 8-0 when netting three or more goals. UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena is the 59th road venue the Griffins have visited in their 21-year history.

Three Stars: 1. GR Hicketts (OT-winning goal); 2. MIL Pardy (goal); 3. GR Brian Lashoff (two shots)