The Toledo Walleye entered this weekend of games with special players weekend events on both Friday and Saturday, with the players wearing their nicknames on the backs of their jerseys. These games are fun to see another side of the players represented. The three games this weekend would pit Toledo against the Maine Mariners on Friday and Saturday, with long-time rivals, the Fort Wayne Komets, closing out the weekend.
On Friday, the Walleye took the ice with John Lethemon between the pipes, going against Kyle Keyser for the Mariners. Toledo forward Thomas Farrell would get the home team on the board first, as he would score with assists from Mitchell Lewandoski and Riley Sawchuk at 4:45 of the period. The score would remain the same until the Walleye would make it 2-0 on a goal by Alexandre Doucet, with assists going again to Lewandowski and Sawchuk. The period ended in favor of the Walleye, 2-0, and the shots on goal favored Maine, 12-10.
The second period did not see much action as there was only one goal, and it was scored by Toledo forward Brandon Hawkins, with assisting going to Orin Centazzo and Grant Gabriele. Toledo would hold a 3-0 advantage on the scoreboard and dominated the shots at 15-7, making the shots 25-19 in favor of Toledo after two.
The final period saw Maine score two goals to get back into the game. Chase Zieky scored the first Mariners goal at 9:03 on assists from Jimmy Lambert and Alex Kile to make the score 3-1. Maine would inch closer, making it 3-2, on a goal by Lambert on assists from Kile and Fedor Gordeev at the 10:12 mark. Toledo would get one back as Sawchuk would make it 4-2. Walleye, Brendon Michaelian, and Doucet got the helpers. The Mariners would again make this interesting at 4-3 on a goal by Trevor Drevitch and assists going to Ryan Mast and Lambert at the 18:04 mark. Less than a minute later, the Walleye would capitalize as Hawkins scored again on assists from Centazzo and Trenton Bliss. This would be the last goal as Toledo would win this one, 5-3, and hold the shot advantage, 35-32.
On Saturday night, it would be round two against Maine. Toledo goaltender Jan Bednar would get the nod against Brad Arvanitis of the Mariners. Jimmy Lambert would get the visiting on the board as he would get one past Bednar, and the assist would go to Alex Kile only 3:00 into the first frame. Toledo even the contest on a power-play goal by Trenton Bliss, his 18th, with assists to Brandon Hawkins and Riley McCourt. At 16:50, Kile scored his 27th goal of the season, putting Maine up 2-1 on helpers by Tyler Drevitch and Wyllum Deveaux. The period would end with the visitors up 2-1, but Toledo had a slim 11-10 shot advantage.
Toledo would take charge in period two, scoring three times. Orrin Centazzo scored his 17th of the season on assists from Brandon Kruse and Riley McCourt. Sawchuk would score his 16th on assists from Mitchell Lewandoski and Brendon Michaelian at 13:27, and the final Walleye goal would be scored by Alexandre Doucet at 15:24, his 11th, as Lewandoswski and Sawchuk got the assists. The rest of the game would be controlled by Maine, scoring four times before the final horn. Adam Mechura scored his 14th at 18:27 as the assists went to Brooklyn Kalmikov and Fedor Gordeev. The second period would end as the Walleye held a 4-3 lead and a 30-14 shot advantage.
The final period would be all Mariners as they would score the game’s final three goals. Kile would score his 28th from Zieky and Mast. Drevitch would score his ninth of the year at 1:08 as assists went to Mechura and Kalmikov. Gordeev would net his first of the season with only 18 seconds remaining as the Mariners shocked the home crowd, taking this one, 6-4, but fell in the shots on goal as Toledo held the 45-20 advantage.
Sunday’s game was Kids Takeover Night/ Spike Squishy Giveaway evening as the Walleye took the ice against their rival, the Fort Wayne Komets. The Walleye started Lethemon for the second time this weekend, and the Komets would start Ryan Fanti.
The first period would end in a scoreless tie as the Walleye held a 9-5 shot advantage. Fort Wayne’s Dajon Mingo would be the only penalty, getting a 2:00 minor for tripping at 15:58.
The second period opened with Fort Wayne’s Xavier Cormier scoring his ninth of the season, with Jack Dugan and Shawn Syzdlowski netting assists. The Komets would go up 2-0 as Griffen Fox would score his first of the season, Alexis D’Aoust and Xavier Bernard getting the helpers at 15:13. Toledo would close the gap with defenseman Matt Anderson scoring his ninth on assists from Brandon Hawkins at 16:03. Toledo would tie it up at two on a Riley McCourt goal, his fifth, with assists going to Mitchell Lewandoski and Riley Sawchuk at 18:44. The middle period would end in a 2-2 tie as Toledo held a 24-9 shot advantage.
The third period was underway, and it would not take long for Fort Wayne to take the lead at 5:18 when Nolan Volcan would pot his 14th of the season on assists to Jake Chiasson and Cameron Supryka. This would end the scoring for the game as Toledo would fall 3-2 but held a 30-18 shot advantage. Toledo would finish 1-2 on the weekend.
