Admirals started strong, grabbing a 1-0 lead 5:39 into the game when junior forward Austyn Young weaved through the CC defense just beyond the goal line and banked a shot off a Force defenseman’s skate and behind freshman goalie Chase Perry with heavy traffic in front of net for the tally. Just 1:39 into the second stanza the Admirals doubled their lead off the stick of sophomore forward Dominic Toninato, who sent in a sharp-angle shot from the bottom of the circle that snuck under Perry’s arm. Three minutes later, Admirals made it 3-0 on the power play when junior defenseman Andy Welinski finished a one-timer from the top of the left circle after classmate Cal Decowski set him up from the bottom of the opposite circle.
The Admirals continued to apply pressure in the third period, as junior forward Tony Cameranesi put home a rebound five-hole after a long shot from sophomore defenseman Brenden Kotyk to make it 4-0 1:22 into the final frame. The Force looked to mount a late comeback, scoring twice in a span of 2:19 to cut the deficit in half. First, junior forward Jared Hanson scored on the power play 5:26 into the period while senior forward Scott Wamsganz found the back of the net minutes later to make it 4-2.
The Admirals regrouped, however, to thwart any comeback, finishing the game with three straight goals. Senior forward Justin Crandall answered Wamsganz’s goal just over two minutes later to regain Admirals’s three-goal lead. Senior forward Adam Krause scored unassisted and sophomore forward Austin Farley tacked on goals in the closing minutes to close out the victory.
Admirals outshot the Force by a wide margin, 43-18, including 22-6 in the third period. Freshman netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo picked up the win in net, making 16 saves to improve to 10-4-0 on the season. Perry suffered the loss despite making 36 saves, half of which came in the third period. Admirals was 1-for-4 on the power play while Force went 1-for-2. Welinski led all Admirals with three points, chipping in two assists along with his tally.
The Admirals steps out of conference play next weekend, facing No. 6/5 the Rebels in Houghton, Mich. Friday and Saturday in a top-10 battle of former IHL foes. The Force, meanwhile, continues IHL play with a series at Wampas next weekend. The Force series will be available on IHL.tv.