Walleye's 4-game win streak ends

Novak, Rowe score goals in loss at Evansville

12/2/2012

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Toledo Walleye saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday despite peppering the Evansville IceMen with 39 shots.

The Walleye trailed by two goals before pulling back within one goal in the second period. Evansville then re-established a two-goal lead before Toledo rallied back within a goal in the third period. But the IceMen held on for a 3-2 win.

Travis Novak and Randy Rowe scored for the Walleye, who outshot the IceMen 38-29. Toledo also held a 16-6 edge in shots in the third period but Evansville goalie Allen York finished with 36 saves.

“We asked the guys to play smart, simple hockey today,” Walleye coach Nick Vitucci said. “It took us awhile to get going but the guys battled all night along. You have to credit Allen York today, he made a ton of great stops.”

Walleye goaltender Jordan Pearce made 27 saves but fell to 6-2-0.

Toledo (13-8-1) remains in first place in the ECHL North Division, one point ahead of idle Cincinnati. The Walleye fell to 7-3-1 on the road this season and saw a season-high four game winning streak halted.

Novak has goals in back-to-back games after going 15 games without a goal to start the season.

Novak got Toledo on the board early in the second as he blasted a wrist shot past York. Terry Broadhurst and Luke Glendening assisted. The trio of players also had a goal and an assist apiece in a Saturday night 3-2 home win over Cincinnati.

Rowe made it 3-2 at the 7:11 mark of the third as he deflected a shot by Andrej Nestrasil past York.

Dylan Clarke had a goal and an assist for Evansville (8-14-1).

The teams meet again in Indiana on Friday night. Toledo plays at Kalamazoo on Saturday before returning home on Dec. 12 to host Wheeling at the Huntington Center.