Game five of the series between the Kansas City Mavericks and the Allen Americans got underway at Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, on Saturday night, as the two teams had taken two games apiece in the opening four games.
All through the opening period, it’s a back-and-forth battle; the Mavericks would open the scoring 23 seconds into the PP for the Americans, Kansas City steals the puck, and it would be Tristan Mullin who’d give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead in the first period, that was Mullin’s second shorty of the series. There were some pretty good goal-scoring opportunities for Kansas City and Allen. Still, nothing happened because Kansas City goalie Shane Starrett and Allen Goalie Kevin Mandolese made stunning saves to keep their team in the game. KC and Allen were playing blue line to blue line hockey during the first period. At the end of the period, Allen had plenty of breakaways on the Mavericks, but nothing came from it because of the beautiful game played by Starrett so far. With under three minutes left in the first, Allen had a two-on-one breakaway, but a beautiful butterfly save by Starrett again kept the Mavs up by one goal; Starrett came up slowly but stayed in the game. Allen tied the game with a goal scored by Kris Myllari with 1:23 left in the opening frame.
The Second Period got underway, and when I mean Allen, Americans came out hot. It was non-stop back and forth between Allen and Kansas City with the puck in each other zone. There was an opportunity by Allen on a three on two breakaway, but Kansas City forward Loren Ulett comes out of nowhere and breaks it up with a check on Allens Grant Hebert. But a couple of minutes later, Allen takes the lead with a goal from Eric Williams with help from his teammates blocking Starrett’s view. Not even thirty seconds later, Allen makes it a 3-1 lead by getting a goal from their captain Colton Hargrove. So the second period goes on, and the Americans take a bigger lead at the 14:09 mark of the second period making it 4-1 on a goal scored by Liam Finlay. With the second period ending and a minute and eighteen seconds left, Kansas City Forward Tristan Mullins and Allens Zachary Massicotte get into a boxing match. As it goes, both guys get a couple of punches on each other, but Mullin takes Massicotte down to the ice. At the end of the second period, the Allen Americans are still outshooting the Mavericks 25 to 21.
The Allens started the third period on the PP but couldn’t convert, as they finished the night 0-4 on the man advantage. The third period is going, and both Starrett and Mandolese are making beautiful saves for their team. Late into the final period, with seven minutes, the Mavericks cut the Allen Americans lead in half with a goal scored by Theo Calvas. Now it’s still a 4-2 lead for the Americans in the remaining minutes of the third. Coming down to the final two minutes, the Mavericks pull Starrett to get the extra attacker out to make a push for a late-minute comeback. With a faceoff in Allen’s zone with 11 seconds left in the game Mavericks forward Hugo Roy scores to bring the Mavericks within a goal of the Americans. Hugo’s goal was giving the Mavericks a last-second comeback, but that was shut down, and the Americans closed out the game with a 4-3 win over the Mavericks to take a 3-2 series lead over the Mavericks.
The Americans will look to close out the series on Monday in Allen.
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