EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Missouri Mavericks now hold a 3-0 series lead over the Evansville IceMen in the Turner Conference Opening Round after a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory Saturday night in Evansville. 
Ed McGrane scored the game winning goal in overtime to secure the game three triumph. The Mavericks now return home for game four on Monday night at Independence Events Center and will go for their first playoff series sweep in franchise history. Josh Beaulieu put the IceMen up 1-0 with five minutes to go in the first period, giving Evansville their first lead of the series. Todd Robinson and Malcolm Gwilliam assisted on the goal. The IceMen outshot the Mavs 10-2 in the period. The two shots by the Mavericks in the period was a franchise low for shots in a period in a postseason game. John-Scott Dickson tied the game seven minutes into the second period on a rebound goal, tying the game at 1-1. Cole Ruwe and Dale Mahovsky assisted on the goal. Dickson’s goal stood up as the only goal in the second period and the Mavericks and IceMen headed to the final 20 minutes of regulation tied at one. Matt Pierce broke the tie 56 seconds into the third period with a goal from the left side circle. It took the Mavericks 16 minutes to respond, but Sebastien Thinel swept a puck in front of the net and deflected it off of a body in front of the net, tying the game at 2-2. Mahovsky got his second assist on the goal and Cole Ruwe was credited with a helper on the goal as well. Regulation ended in a 2-2 tie and the two teams headed to overtime. Ed McGrane collected a loose puck in the neutral zone in the waning moments of the first overtime and rifled a shot past Evansville goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier to give the Mavericks a 3-2 overtime victory and a 3-0 series lead. The Mavericks will go for their first ever playoff series sweep on Monday night at Independence Events Center. Contact comments@prohockeynews.com
