Sold-out crowd watches Toledo melt the IceMen!
3/2/2013 - (Toledo, OH)-Trevor Parkes scored a hat trick tonight, as the Toledo Walleye exploded for seven unanswered goals to propel them to a 7-1 victory over the Evansville IceMen in front of 8,200 fans at the Huntington Center on Saturday night. The Walleye are 31-20-4-4 overall this season and are 16-8-2-3 on home ice.
Each team had several scoring opportunities early in the game, but Evansville would open the scoring at the 7:40 mark of the first period. Daniel Tetrault sailed a shot past Walleye goaltender Jordan Pearce.
Toledo would answer right back, with Trevor Parkes netting a power play goal at 8:57. Parkes tipped in a Byron Froese shot from the point with the second assist going to Joey Martin.
The Walleye would then take the lead just 22 seconds later with Froese rifling a shot over the glove of Karpowich. Kyle Rogers and Wes O’Neill set up Froese’s 10th goal of the season.
Toledo out shot the IceMen by a margin of 7-2 during the first period of play.
Willie Coetzee pushed the Walleye lead to 3-1 after he buried home a rebound off of Parkes’ initial shot. Coetzee’s team-leading 23rd goal of the season came at 10:23 of the second period with the second assist going to Erik Spady.
The Walleye added to their lead after Parkes skated through the Evansville defense and slipped the puck behind Karpowich at 13:53 of the middle period. Parkes would then record a hat trick, after he tipped Froese’s shot into the IceMen net. Coetzee also assisted on Parkes’ third goal of the evening on the power play.
Toledo sent 17 shots at the Evansville goal and held the IceMen to just eight in the second period.
Nino Musitelli continued the goal scoring for the Walleye, recording the sixth Toledo goal of the game at 3:53 of the third period on the power play. Musitelli lifted the puck over Karpowich after a scramble in front of the net with the assists going to Martin and Coetzee. Travis Novak lit the lamp for the Walleye with 2:58 to play in the third period, sliding the puck on the ice through Karpowich’s pads. Tyler Brenner and O’Neill assisted on the goal that put the Walleye up 7-1.
Walleye Wrap-Up:
-Goaltender Jordan Pearce stopped 20 shots on goal and is 15-8-2-1 on the season.
-Byron Froese extended his goal scoring streak to three games tonight.
-The Walleye are 6 for 19 on the power play over the last four games.
-Trevor Parkes recorded his first professional hat trick in tonight's game.
-Tonight marked the seventh sellout of the season and the 37th in the history of the Walleye as 8,200 fans came through the turnstiles at the Huntington Center. The game was also the third straight Saturday night sellout for the Walleye.
The Walleye return home tomorrow afternoon when they host the Trenton Titans at 5:05 p.m. The Walleye and ProMedica have teamed up in the fight against breast cancer for the second day of “Pink in the Rink.” Crystal Bowersox will also be at the Huntington Center to sing the national anthem. Nick Jr.'s Team Umizoomi will be on hand to meet and take pictures with fans. Tickets are on sale now at the Huntington Center box office, by phone at 419-725-9255 or online at www.toledowalleye.com.
Game Story By: Samantha Hoot
