Milwaukee Wave 16-17 Chicago Storm

by Dan Gaichas

MILWAUKEE, WI--Both teams scored an equal number of goals, but the Storm had three three-point goals compared to the Milwaukee Wave’s two and that proved to be the difference as the Storm won a 17-16 thriller against the Wave at US Cellular Arena.  The Storm win back-to-back matches for the first time this season.

It was Fabinho who opened the scored on a power play as he rocketed a three-point goal past Wave goalkeeper Nick Vorberg five minutes into the game.  The Wave would answer three minutes later with a three-pointer of their own as Storm keeper Jeff Richey was caught wrong-footed on Nilson Pernambuco’s attempt that rolled into the goal. 

Frederico Moojen put the Storm ahead again with 1:17 to go in the quarter after scoring off a rebound from Ian Bennett’s initial shot.  The Storm made it 7-3 after Daniel Antoniuk would score off a feed from Lazo Alavanja. 

However, the Wave would go to halftime with a 10-7 lead after scoring three goals, including another three-pointer, in a span of 3:09.  Marco Terminesi first got a three-point goal and then a two-pointer by beating Richey far-post.  Tenzin Rampa would score his first career goal at the 10:08 mark of the second quarter. 

Antoniuk would erase that three-point lead just 47 seconds into the third quarter with a three-pointer catching Vorberg off his line after a clearance.

“I just saw (Jeff) Richey coming out to clear the ball and I was thinking he was going to wrap it around the boards,” said Antoniuk off the goal.  “I thought if it comes out to me, I might take a swing at it , I might catch (Vorberg) out of net.  The ball just bounced once (off the boards) and came to me and I was prepared and got my left foot off and it went in.”

Antoniuk turned proved for Alavanja for yet another three-point goal to make it 13-10 Storm.  Just 65 seconds after that goal, Moojen added his second of the game after heading in a rebound from an initial shot from Chris Cerroni. 

Milwaukee again made a comeback and cut the lead to one on goals by Joe Hammes and Travis MacKenzie.  They had a great chance to take the lead on a power play in the fourth quarter with Cerroni in the box for holding.  But sixteen seconds into the power play, Fabinho was in alone on Vorberg and scored a shorthanded goal to make it 17-14. 

“[Fabinho] plays with so much heart and so much emotion,” said Storm head coach Steve Morris.  “It’s great to see him rewarded for his hard work.

“Our power play defense has been phenomenal all year.  We haven’t scored many shorthanded goals this year, but that was great goal for us.”

Once again, the Wave moved to within one after the Storm’s inability to clear a ball from their own area allowed Jacek Prezednowek to score.  The Wave then had two last chances in the dying seconds to win the game, but Marcelo Fontana’s shot and later MacKenzie’s header went wide of the target and the Storm held on for the victory.

Antoniuk took a few months off from the game for some family commitments, but he’s already picked up two goals and four assists in just three days as a member of the Storm. 

“It feels good,” said Antoniuk, “I’m trying my best.  I’m going to work as hard as I can.  If I’m not scoring goals, I’m going to try to help create them and help the team anyway I can.” 

Moojen says that the team is really starting to find their feet at this stage of the season.

“We are trying to win every game we can right now,” said Moojen.  “It’s very important for us.  The last two games, we came in with a strong mentality and we played well and we were rewarded for that.” 

Six of the last seven games for the Storm are at home and that begins on Saturday night at 6pm against the Milwaukee Wave at the Sears Centre.

SCORING SUMMARY:

(1st) CHI-Fabinho (Alavanja)(3PT)(PPG) 5:19

(1st) MIL-Nilson Pernambuco (Santos)(3PT)(PPG) 8:08

(1st) CHI-Frederico Moojen (Bennett) 13:17

(2nd) CHI-Daniel Antoniuk (Alavanja)(PPG) 3:42

(2nd) MIL-Marco Terminesi (Rampa)(3PT) 6:59

(2nd) MIL-Marco Terminesi (unassisted) 8:48

(2nd) MIL-Tenzin Rampa (Terminesi) 10:08

(3rd) CHI-Daniel Antoniuk (unassisted)(3PT) :47

(3rd) CHI-Lazo Alavanja (Antoniuk)(3PT) 4:38

(3rd) CHI-Frederico Moojen (Cerroni) 5:43

(3rd) MIL-Joe Hammes (unassisted) 9:39

(4th) MIL-Travis MacKenzie (Rodrigues) :55

(4th) CHI-Fabinho (unassisted)(SHG) 4:14

(4th) MIL-Jacek Przednowek (Pernambuco) 11:04

PENALTY SUMMARY:

(1st) MIL-Jonathan Santos (blue, tripping) 4:11

(1st) CHI-Fabinho (blue, elbowing) 6:14

(1st) CHI-Carlos Clay (blue, holding) 8:54

(2nd) MIL-JP Rodrigues (blue, tripping) 2:48

(4th) CHI-Chris Cerroni (blue, holding) 3:56

(4th) MIL-Jonathan Santos (blue, charging) 5:48

(4th) MIL-Marco Terminesi (blue, holding) 14:03

MILWAUKEE WAVE (7-4): 

Starters: #0-Nick Vorberg, #22-Joe Hammes, #10-Jonathan Santos, #20-Marcelo Fontana, #21-Giuliano Oliviero, #4-Chad Burt

Bench:  #2-Tenzin Rampa, #3-Lovelace Ackah, #4-Chad Burt, #6-Nilson Pernambuco, #7-JP Rodrigues, #12-Travis MacKenzie, #14-Brett Wiesner, #15-Nathan Sabich, #16-Jacek Przednowek, #22-Joe Hammes, #23-Marco Terminesi

CHICAGO STORM (4-8): 

Starters:  #23-Jeff Richey, #7-Will Kletzien, #66-Branko Savic, #11-Lazo Alavanja, #18-Chris Cerroni, #9-Frederico Moojen

Bench:  #3-Daniel Antoniuk, #6-Carlos Clay, #8-Fabinho, #14-Alen Osmanovic, #15-Andy Rosenband, #21-Ian Bennett, #25-Brandon Corday

TOTAL SHOTS:  MIL 29-17 CHI

SHOTS ON GOAL:  MIL 20-12 CHI

SAVES: MIL 5-13 CHI

FOULS:  MIL 12-13 CHI

POWER PLAYS:  MIL 1-3; CHI 2-3

Man of the Match:  Daniel Antoniuk (CHI) with two goals and an assist.

Second Star:  Fabinho (CHI) with two goals including the match-winner.

Third Star:  Marco Terminesi (MIL) with two goals and an assist.