44 shots not enough as Toledo falls to Allen, 4-3

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo Walleye put together a 44-shot performance Friday night at the Huntington Center, but the Allen Americans capitalized on their scoring opportunities to hand the Walleye a 4-3 loss.

The Americans never trailed in their second ever matchup with the Walleye, scoring twice in each of the first two periods. The Walleye trimmed the lead back to one late in the third period, but game time expired before the Fish could send the contest to overtime. Matt Berry, Ryan Lowney, and John Albert each found the back of the net for Toledo in the effort.

The Americans took their first lead of the game 1:41 after puck drop as Brandon Troock found the back of the net for the 18th time this season. Nick Albano and J.C. Campagna assisted on the goal as Allen took the 1-0 lead.

The Americans held that lead for the next 14 minutes before Matt Berry responded with a goal of his own, also his 18th tally of the season. Randy Gazzola and Mitchell Heard recorded the assists.

At the 18:41 mark, Allen regained the lead on a Spencer Asuchak goal over Billy Christopoulos’ left shoulder as Trook and Ben Carroll assisted. The Walleye outshot the Americans, 15-8, in a penalty-free frame for both teams, but Allen came away with the 2-1 lead through one period.

The Americans built on their lead in the second period, outscoring the Walleye, 2-1, in the second straight frame. Ryan Lowney briefly tied the contest at two with an equal strength goal at the 8:11 mark. As the Walleye skated down the ice, John Albert passed across to Brandon Hawkins, who found Lowney straight on for the goal, his fourth of the season.

At 9:46, Troock scored his second goal of the game with help from Jackson Leppard and Philip Beaulieu, putting the Americans back up by one. Allen increased their lead to two at the 16:23 mark as Joshua Winquist found the back of the net. Kris Myllari and Spencer Asuchak assisted as the Americans took the 4-2 lead.

The Walleye looked to come back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to send the contest to overtime. The Fish held the Americans scoreless in the period but were still searching for a goal as the period wound down. 

With 18:22 gone, Billy Christopoulos skated to the bench, bringing on the extra skater. John Albert, assisted by TJ Hensick and Brandon Hawkins, found the back of the net to trim the Allen lead to one with just 18 seconds left in regulation. The Fish ultimately ran out of time, and the Americans came away with the 4-3 win.

The Walleye took 44 shots in the contest while holding the Americans to just 20 behind a 16-3 shot margin in the final frame. No penalty minutes were called for either team, leaving Toledo and Allen without any power play opportunities in the contest.

Luke Peressini earned the win in net for the Americans, saving 41-of-44 shots in a full 60 minutes of ice time. Billy Christopoulos’ three-game win streak in net for the Walleye came to an end with the loss. He saved 16-of-20 shots in the effort.

What’s Next:

The Walleye will look to get back in the win column tomorrow night as they continue their three-game weekend series with the Americans. Puck drop from the Huntington Center is set for 7:15 p.m.

Three Stars:

1. Allen – Branden Troock (two goals, assist)
2. Allen – Spencer Asuchak (goal, assist)
3. Allen – Luke Peressini (W, 41 saves)