Americans halt Mavericks’ dream season

The Missouri Mavericks enjoyed a dream season in 2016-17, but saw it all go up in flames against the Allen Americans Tuesday night (May 10) on home ice.

After splitting the first pair in Missouri, the Americans took a stranglehold on the series winning the first two on home ice. The Mavericks avoided a quick exit with a Game 5 win, but ultimately fell a couple of nights later.

May 4 — Mavericks 1 at Americans 5

The Mavericks found itself trailing 2-0 after a period before Josh Holmstrom, 26, from Colorado netted a shorthanded marker. his third of the playoffs to get the Missouri crew back into it in the eighth minute of the middle frame.

Eric Roy, 21, from Saskatchewan and Vincent Arseneau, 24, from Quebec notched the first period goals for the Americans and Greger Hanson, 27, from Sweden first his fifth of the playoffs to restore the two goal cushion later in the second period. Spencer Auschak, 24, from British Columbia widened the gap with two goals in the final period — his first two of the post season, the second into an empty Missouri goal with 90 seconds to play.

Riley Gill, 31, from Northfield, MN stopped 25 of 26 to pick up the win in goal for the Americans while Parker Milner, 25, from Pennsylvania handled 31 of 35 in goal for the Mavericks.

May 6 — Mavericks 2 at Americans 4 

Auschak came up with another big third period goal, breaking open a 2-2 draw after the visiting Mavericks stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to even things. An empty netter by Arseneau 62 seconds from the final buzzer wrapped things up and put the home team in the driver’s seat with a shot at wrapping it all up on home ice a couple of nights later.

Arseneau also scored the lone goal of the opening period with Gary Steffes, 27, from Grand Blanc, MI doubling the margin late in the second period with his third of the post season.

The Mavs needed a big final 20 minutes and Tyler Barnes, 26, from Burnsville, MN got things off to a solid start with his goal just 11 seconds into the session on a powerplay — his fifth of the post season. By the 3:26 mark, the Mavs drew even as Ross Johnston, 22, from Prince Edward Island fired the tying goal.

Gill ended up with a 35-save win while Josh Robinson, 26, from Frankenmuth, MI handled 24 of 27 for the Mavericks.

May 8 — Mavericks 3 at Americans 1 

Facing an end to an awesome season, the Mavericks came up with a big effort on Sunday afternoon, battling back from an early deficit to push the series back to the Show-Me State.

The final game at the Allen Event Center saw the home team jumping in front quick as Hanson notched his sixth of the post season just 4:33 into the game. That lead held up through a period but Carter Verhaeghe, 20, from Ontario evened things with his second of the post season 5:30 into the second and Rocco Carzo, 25 from Pennsylvania triggered a shorthanded marker with 1:35 to go in the frame, opening up a lead the Mavs would not relinquish.

Johnston added one more for the winners near the halfway mark of the final period and Robinson slammed the door, stopping 29 of 30 in the contest including all 20 of the shots he faced after the first period. Gill stopped 24 of 27 in goal for the Americans.

May 10 — Americans 5 at Mavericks 1

The Mavericks hoped to gain some momentum with a return to Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, but the Americans finished the job breaking open a 1-1 draw after a period with an unanswered goal in the middle frame and another early in the third before sinking a final pair into an empty goal against a desperate Mavericks’ squad.

Hanson continued an awesome playoff run, netting two more — his seventh and eighth with other Allen goals coming from: Chad Costello, 29, from Johnston, IA; Casey Pierro-Zabotel, 27, from British Columbia and Dyson Stevenson, 22, from Saskatchewan. Gill picked up the win again with 32 saves.

Johnston scored the lone Mavericks goal, his third of the post season and Robinson turned aside 25 for the Mavericks.

With the win, the Americans move a huge step closer to defending its 2014-15 Presidents Cup Championship, advancing to the Western Conference championship series against the Fort Wayne Komets, the lone representative of 10 still remaining from the Midwest in the ECHL post season.