Keenan picks up first professional hat trick in Walleye sweep

CORALVILLE, IOWA - Second-year Walleye forward Conlan Keenan picked up his first professional hat trick in another dominating performance over Iowa this afternoon.

What Happened:

This Sunday afternoon matchup was the final of a three-game road series between Toledo and Iowa. The Walleye dominated in the first two games, picking up 6-1 and 5-0 victories. Last night's shutout was the first for the Walleye this season. 

On the fourth Toledo shot of the game and his second, forward Conlan Keenan grabbed the early lead after a tip on Kirill Tyutyayev's shot from the blue line. Defenseman Riley McCourt picked up the second assist on the goal that came at the 3:43 mark. 

The first power play went to the Walleye as Trey Phillips headed to the Iowa box for cross-checking late in the seventh minute. No additional shots were recorded on the Toledo man advantage. Another Walleye power play came in the 17th minute after Jake Durflinger slashed Brandon Hawkins in front of the Iowa crease. Finishing the opening period with the 12-11 edge in shots, the Walleye carried a late power play into the second after a tripping call against Iowa's Tyler Busch at 19:38.

Both goaltenders stayed busy throughout the second period of play. John Lethemon ended up facing 16 Iowa shots, while Corbin Kaczperski faced 15 from Toledo. With 1:38 remaining on the Walleye man advantage to start, Toledo rattled off three shots before their power play expired and then added three more. 

The Heartlanders responded with four shots on Lethemon in less than two minutes. Iowa got their first power play of the game at 7:24 after Gordie Green received a high-sticking penalty. Despite eight shots on the man advantage, the Heartlanders were unable to crack the powerful Toledo road penalty kill. 

Several key scoring opportunities came next for the Walleye, who had six consecutive shots in the next three minutes. The Heartlanders put themselves in danger once again early in the 18th minute as Justin Wells headed to the Iowa box for slashing. With 47 seconds left on the Toledo power play, Kirill Tyutyayev and Riley McCourt worked the puck across the Iowa zone to Brandon Hawkins for a shot from the right circle that ended up making it a 2-0 game. After a hooking penalty came against Mitchell Heard at 19:29 of the middle period, the Heartlanders headed into the third on their second power play of the afternoon. 

The Heartlanders opened up the final period of play with two shorthanded shots, but Lethemon picked up the saves. At the 4:34 mark, Conlan Keenan extended the Walleye lead to three. Mitchell Heard sent a rink-wide pass to Keenan from the red line for the forward to notch his second marker of the night. 

Early in the ninth minute, Iowa's Bo Hanson picked up an equal-strength goal from the blue line to put the Heartlanders on the board for the first time since the opening period two nights prior. Brandon Hawkins and Conlan Keenan sealed the deal for Toledo just over a minute apart starting at 14:14. Hawkins' equal-strength goal was assisted by Trenton Bliss. Keenan's marker, assisted by Ryan Lowney and Mitchell Heard, was his third of the night for the hat trick. 

With 48 seconds remaining in the game, Walleye defenseman Simon Denis headed to the penalty box for high-sticking. Toledo held onto their four-goal lead to the end, despite being outshot 36-45. 

Speed Stats: 

• With another road win, the Walleye have now taken their last five. Their road record now sits at 14-6-2-0.
• Today's win gave the Walleye their fourth sweep of the season. The previous three have been against Wheeling on the road, Cincinnati during a home-and-home series, and the non-divisional Norfolk Admirals on the road.
• Toledo ended the three-game series outscoring the Heartlanders 16-2.
• John Lethemon made his 16th appearance in the Walleye net today. He also picked up a new season-high for saves with 44. His previous number was 35 in Cincinnati on New Year's Eve. 
• Toledo went 4/10 on the power play over the course of their three-game weekend in Iowa. 
• With an assist in each game this weekend, Trenton Bliss is now on an 11-game point streak, the longest for a Walleye skater this season. He has picked up 15 points (4G, 11A) in those 11 games. 
• After registering two assists, Mitchell Heard is one game behind Bliss with a ten-game point streak. He now has 16 points (5G, 11A) in those ten games. 
• Conlan Keenan's hat trick was his first in his professional career. 
• Two assists from Riley McCourt put him at 50 professional points. 
• With two goals today, Brandon Hawkins ended the weekend with four more points (3G, 1A). Kirill Tyutyayev (1G, 3A) and Riley McCourt (2G, 2A) also picked up four points over the weekend. 

Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:

1) TOL - J. Lethemon (44 SVS)

2) TOL - C. Keenan (3G)

3) IA - B. Hanson (1G)

Up Next:

The Walleye will play one more road game on Friday night in Kalamazoo before they are back in front of a home crowd on Saturday. Friday's puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.