Walleye offense dominates in 6-2 win over Komets

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Matt Berry and Brandon Hawkins each scored two goals for the Toledo Walleye in Friday night’s matchup with the Fort Wayne Komets, leading a six-goal scoring barrage as Toledo picked up a 6-2 win over Fort Wayne at Memorial Coliseum.

The Fish scored three goals each in the first two periods, putting together a string of four consecutive goals to pick up their 46th win of the season. The contest also marked the 13th and final matchup between the Walleye and Komets this year, bringing Toledo’s record to 8-5-0 in the season series.

The Walleye and Komets started alternated goals in a fast-paced opening frame, starting with Matt Berry 5:19 after puck drop. Reece Harsch collected the lone assist, finding Berry in the left circle to put the Fish on the board.

With 7:54 gone, Matt Alvaro scored the first goal for the Komets, his 18th of the season. Blake Siebenaler and Olver Cooper assisted on the equal strength goal, tying the contest at one.

Three minutes later, the Walleye regained the lead as Brandon Hawkins snuck the puck past Samuel Harvey for his team-leading 29th goal of the season. John Albert and TJ Hensick assisted on the score.

At 14:13, Alvaro found the back of the net for the second time in the period, pulling the Komets even with the Walleye. Joe Masonius and Lynden McCallum provided the assists as Alvaro collected his 19th goal of the year.

Just 20 seconds later, Matt Berry responded, also with his second goal of the game, to put the Walleye back in front. Mitchell Heard and Chris Martenet assisted on Berry’s goal, the final tally for either team in the period. 

The Walleye trailed, 12-6, in shots in the opening frame, but led, 3-2, at the end of the period after converting on half of their opportunities.

The Fish opened the second period on the power play following a holding penalty against Oliver Cooper at 20:00 in the first. The man advantage lasted only 24 seconds before Brandon Hawkins skated coast to coast to notch his 30th goal of the season. Randy Gazzola and Max Milosek collected the assists as the Walleye lead grew to two.

With 4:31 gone in the second period, Quinn Preston found the back of the net for the second time this season as Jesse Mychan and Ryan Lowney assisted. That goal also came on the power play after Zach Tolkinen was called for hooking at the 2:41 mark. The Komets made a switch in net following Toledo’s fifth goal of the game, bringing in Jordan Papirny to replace Samuel Harvey.

The Walleye continued their scoring tear just past the midway point of the contest as Cam Clarke found the back of the net at the 11:10 mark. The goal marked Clarke’s first goal in a Walleye uniform and eighth of the season. Brett Boeing and Quinn Preston assisted as the Toledo lead increased to 6-2.

After two periods of consistent scoring, the Walleye and Komets skated to a scoreless third period to finish off the contest. The Walleye took 11 shots to Fort Wayne’s seven in the frame, but neither team found the back of the net in the final 20 minutes. The Walleye capped off the 13-game season series with the Komets with the 6-2 victory.

Fort Wayne edged Toledo in shots on goal, 28-27, while both teams saw three power play opportunities during the contest. The Walleye converted twice with the man advantage on their first two goals of the second period while the Komets failed to score on the power play.

Max Milosek extended his win streak to five in net for the Walleye. He made 26 saves on 28 shots, holding the Komets scoreless past the 14:13 mark in the opening period. Samuel Harvey was credited with the loss for the Komets, saving 7-of-12 shots in 24:31 of ice time. Jordan Papirny relieved Harvey in the second period and saved 14-of-15 shots in the final 35:29 of game time.

What’s Next:

The Walleye continue their six-game road trip Saturday night when they visit Wheeling for the second time this season to take on the Nailers. Puck drop from WeBanco Arena is set for 7:10 p.m.

Three Stars:

1. Toledo – Matt Berry (two goals)
2. Toledo – Brandon Hawkins (two goals)
3. Toledo – Quinn Preston (power play goal, assist)