WAUSAU, WI – The Peoria Mustangs completed the 3rd and 4th games of their season long 10 game road trip this weekend, visiting the Wausau Cyclones for a weekend series. The Mustangs and Cyclones played a close game on Friday, then the Mustangs scripted a come from behind victory on Saturday night to sweep the weekend in Wisconsin.
Tristan Trudel got the scoring started Friday night just past the midway point of the opening period while on the power play. With the Cyclones Will Britton in the penalty box for tripping, the Mustangs took advantage. Thomas Kayner found Trudel with a cross ice feed, Trudel then snaped the shot past Cyclones goaltender Mitch Miscevich on the power play at 12:44 for the 1-0 Mustangs edge.
The Cyclones evened the score late in the period while skating with the man advantage. Mustangs forward Issac Fuller was serving a penalty for instigating, amongst his fighting major when the Cyclones tied the game. Gage Vierzba entered the zone along the right ring boards and slipped a pass to the top of the crease where his line mate, Nolan Gifford was stationed. Gifford slipped the puck under the pad of Mustangs goaltender Joe Ambroffi at 18:00 to tie the game at 1.
The teams skated through a scoreless second period before the Mustangs took the lead in the final period. In the early stages of the final frame defenseman Justin Hubble broke out of the Mustangs D-zone, raced through the neutral zone and into the Mustangs attacking end. Hubble broke through the right circle and slipped a pass to D-partner Connor Henderson who then slipped the puck under the pad of Miscevich at 2:21 of the 3rd period for the 2-1 Mustangs Advantage.
Peoria grabbed the lead, and eventual game winner late in the third period while skating with the man advantage. With the Cyclones Bowen Arola serving a 5-minute major for slashing Thomas Kayner found a streaking Jaycob Bland*, who snapped the puck from between the circles over the shoulder of Miscevich at 13:38 for the 3-1 Mustangs lead and eventual game winner.
Wausau drew within one in the closing seconds of the final frame as Luke Anderson took a feed from Hayden Shoemake and put it past Ambroffi at 19:03 of the 3rd for the eventual 3-2 final score.
Joe Ambroffi earned the victory between the pipes stopping 21/23 shots faced. The victory, Ambroffi’s 3rd straight improves Ambroffi to 3-1-1 on the season.
The Mustangs and Cyclones met again Saturday night for the second of the two game weekend series. The Cyclones jumped out to an early lead, built on the lead and skated nearly 45 minutes with that lead before the Mustangs tied the game, then took the eventual lead en-route to the weekend sweep with a 6-4 triumph Saturday night. The win improves the Mustangs to 5-3-2 on the season.
Wausau’s Luke Anderson got the scoring started less than 60 seconds into the contest when he stuffed the puck under Mustang’s goaltender Joe Ambroffi’s pad at :42 of the opening period for the quick 1-0 Cyclones lead. The Mustangs tied things up just 40 seconds later when Thomas Kayner won a battle in the neutral zone and chipped the puck into the Mustangs offensive zone. Chris Kondiles corralled the puck and slipped a backhand pass across the circles to a streaking Jackson Gram; Gram then deposited the puck into the back of the net to tie the game 1-1 at 1:22 of the opening frame. The Cyclones tacked on three goals in the remainder of the first period taking a 4-1 lead into the first break. Gage Vierzba gave Wausau a 2-1 lead at 4:23, then Zac Maupin added a goal at 10:06, then again at 13:24 for the 4-1 Cyclones lead.
Peoria cut into the Wausau lead early in the second period when Kondiles once again found his line-mate Gram who raced along the left-wing boards, cut across the left circle and snapped the puck past Cyclones Goaltender Zach Dosan at 6:26 of the middle frame cutting into the Wausau lead 4-2. The Mustangs made it a one goal game late in the middle period when Kondiles took a feed from Thomas Kayner. Kayner raced into the attacking zone into the right circle, Kayner then slid a pass across to the left circle where Kondiles backpedaled below the circle and snapped the puck past Dosan at 18:51, to cut the Cyclones lead to one at 4-3. The visitors tied the game early in the final frame when Ethan Chesney scored the first of back-to-back goals for the forward. Chesney took a feed from Connor Henderson and put the puck in the back of the net at 2:05 of the 3rd to tie the game at 4 each. Chesney scored the eventual game winner just second later when once again, he took a pass from Henderson and lit the lamp at 3:41 for the 5-4 Mustangs advantage.
Henderson put the cherry on top late in the final period while the Mustangs were buzzing in their offensive zone. Kondiles took a rebound and skated to the right-wing corner, then slipped a backhand pass to Henderson who was streaking down into the left circle. Henderson corralled the pass and snapped a wrister past Dosan at 15:09 for the eventual 6-4 final score.
Mustangs Sweep Weened Pair Against WausauJoe Ambroffi started the game between the pipes playing the opening 20:00, stopping 10/14 shots. TJ DeMeulenaere entered the game in relief to open the second period playing the final 40 minutes. DeMeulenaere picked up the win stopping all 7 shots faced, the win improves him to 2-2-1 on the season.
Notes: The Mustangs had 5 skaters earn multi-point games in Saturday night’s contest…Connor Henderson has a goal in three straight outings, the Springfield, IL native has 3 goals on the season…Ethan Chesney recorded his 3rd game winning goal of the season in Saturday night’s win…Thomas Kayner has points in 4 straight games, 1G and 7A…Chris Kondiles has points in 4 straight, 2G and 5A… Issac Fuller and Connor Bruns both dropped this gloves over the weekend, Fuller picked up his second fighting major of the season Friday night.
NEXT UP: The Mustangs return to action Friday night when they travel to Rochester, MN for a two-game series with the Grizzlies…The games can be viewed live on HockeyTV, or by following along on the Mustangs social media platforms. Puck drop for Friday night’s game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
