Milwaukee Admirals 1 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 4

Feb. 17, 2016

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Anthony Mantha’s first career hat trick powered the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.

Mantha scored in each period and added an assist to also mark his first four-point game, as the Griffins toppled a first-place team for the second straight home game. Milwaukee began the night tied atop the Central Division with Rockford, which Grand Rapids beat 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 6.

Jared Coreau turned aside 29 of 30 shots for the Griffins, who kicked off a stretch of three straight and 7-of-8 at Van Andel Arena. The Charlotte Checkers will pay a Friday-Saturday visit to the Van, with each game starting at 7 p.m.

The Griffins (28-19-1-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Milwaukee before the game was six minutes old. Mantha stole the puck off an Admiral’s stick at center ice and sped around defenseman Trevor Murphy before being hooked to the ice at the 2:24 mark, drawing the Griffins’ first penalty shot attempt of the season. He skated wide left of Marek Mazanec then faked a forehand shot before roofing a backhand into the right corner, breaking Grand Rapids’ 0-for-11 streak in penalty shots that dated to Doug Janik’s successful try on April 10, 2012.

Nathan Paetsch tallied the second goal off an Eric Tangradi feed at 5:24, launching a wrist shot from the point that sailed through Louis-Marc Aubry’s screen. Mantha earned the second assist on the play.

The Griffins finished off killing a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Mark Zengerle to begin the second period then extended their cushion on Mantha’s second of the night at 17:21, when Zengerle set up Mantha for a one-timer from the top of the right circle that blew by Mazanec’s stick for a 3-0 lead.

Thirty seconds later it appeared that Zengerle scored from the right side off a rebound to make it a four-goal game, but the referees ruled that a kicking motion propelled the puck into the net and upheld that decision after video review.

Milwaukee (31-15-3-0) took advantage of its reprieve to get on the board with 11:35 remaining, when Taylor Aronson beat Coreau on a wraparound after collecting a rebound off the end boards. But Mantha completed his hat trick during a power play with 7:41 showing on the clock, as he plucked a puck out of the air at the top of the circles, quickly dropped it to the ice and blasted home a rising shot that Mazanec had little chance on.

Mazanec made 26 saves for the Admirals, who have lost five of seven meetings with the Griffins this season. Milwaukee entered the game with three straight wins and an 8-1-1-0 record in its previous 10 outings.

Notes: Coreau's 23 wins tie him for eighth place on the Griffins' single-season chart with Petr Mrazek (2012-13), Daniel Larsson (2009-10) and Ian Gordon (1997-98)...Including playoffs, the Griffins are 8-for-35 all time in penalty shots…Their last penalty shot goal at Van Andel Arena was scored by Francis Pare on Dec. 9, 2009.

Three Stars: 1. GR Mantha (hat trick, assist); 2. GR Coreau (W, 29 saves); 3. GR Paetsch (goal)