ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans (32-26-5-2) were looking to capitalize with a second-straight victory by taking a weekend series from the Kansas City Mavericks (32-29-2-2) Saturday night in their third-straight home game at the Allen Event Center, but what Allen was seeking to secure was not to be.
The visiting Mavericks, in road black, immediately applied offensive pressure from the opening face-off keeping the puck in their end for the first 1:27 of the game. Allen eventually moved the puck past center ice, providing American goalie Jeremy Brodeur a much needed breather.
Kansas City continued their offensive momentum. At 3:34, Mavericks forward Shaun Pauly with assists from Bryce O’Brien and Nate Widman took advantage of a loose puck just outside the face-off circle skating in and flipping it over Brodeur’s shoulder stick side into the net.
The struggling Americans gave Kansas City the first man advantage of the game at 5:51 on a hooking penalty from Miles Liberati, but Allen was able to kill off the penalty with no resulting damage.
With both teams skating at even strength, Kansas City’s Jared VanWormer, on assists from Mark Cooper and Patch Alber went in with a wraparound sneaking the puck past Brodeur’s glove side at 12:46.
Allen was presented with several scoring opportunities, including a 5-on-3 in the last several minutes of the first period, but were unable to exploit the advantage as Mavericks goalie Tyler Parson kept the Americans at bay squashing the attempt to recover from a two-goal deficit.
The second period saw plenty of action on the ice and in the penalty box as a total of seven penalties were dished out with Allen owning of five of the seven minors. As for the three goals, Kansas City took ownership of all three in a variety of ways. O’Brien’s went in unassisted and shorthanded at 5:32, Matt Robinson’s even strength marker (Bryce Aneloski and Alber) at 8:22 and a power-play goal by Pauly (Darry Smith, Widman) at 16:17, putting the Mavericks up by five as the second period closed out.
Agitation and frustrations set in early in the third as Allen’s Bryan Moore took four for the team with two minute minors each for instigating and charging, a five minute major for fighting and a game misconduct for aggressor at 2:08, putting Allen’s penalty kill units on extended play. The result was a power play goal netted by Kansas City’s Alex Brooks at 7:09, extending the Mavericks’ lead by six.
Twenty-eight seconds into Allen’s second 5-on-3 of the night at 8:11 center Casey Pierro–Zabotel, with assists from Eric Roy and Zach Pochiro, put the puck on the cross bar and into the net ending the Americans’ scoring drought and bringing Parson’s shut-out in progress to halt. Zabotel’s goal marked a career milestone as it was it 500th career point.
The Allen victory Friday night stopped a three game skid, but the celebration was shorted lived with the defeating 6-1 loss handed to them by Kansas City, splitting the series between the two. Allen will be looking forward to redeeming themselves as they host the Wichita Thunder Wednesday night for game four of a six-game home stand, followed by a weekend series with the Colorado Eagles.
Story by PHN Contributor Brian McLean
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