It was all Mike Amadio tonight against the Kingston Frontenacs as the Sault Ste. Marie native scored a career high five goals in a 6-5 loss to the Eastern Conference leading Fronts.
"I have never scored more than three or four goals in a night so it’s definitely a night to remember for me,” Amadio told CKAT’s Matt Sookram in a post game interview.
The Troops had a never say die attitude in this one as they fell behind 4-1 after one period and kept fighting back courtesy of Amadio's amazing offensive outburst.
"I thought we didn’t come out to the best start but we came out strong in the second and third, I thought we did a good job coming back there," added Amadio.
The Fronts get off to a very quick start as right off a face-off in the Battalion zone, The Fronts beat Kment for an early 1-0 lead. The point shot deflected in front and Chad Duchesne was credited with the goal only 21 seconds into the game.
The Frontenacs add to the lead as a shot from a bad angle by Ted Nichol just trickled underneath the pad of Jake Kment for an early 2-0 lead at 4:26.
On the power play former Generals sniper Michael Dal Colle slipped into the slot and made not mistake on a feed from the corner and he beat Kment low blocker to make it 3-0 at 11:44.
The Battalion had a good chance to cut into the lead as Brett Hargrave and Zach Shankar came in on a 2 on 1 and Hargrave, fresh off his first multiple goal game with the Troops, ripped a shot over the net behind Perissini.
Michael Amadio got the Battalion on the board, as he cut to the middle came into the zone late and walked in and beat Lucas Perissini at 17:38.
However less than 20 seconds later, again off a face-off, Lawson Crouse got the puck and ripped it over the shoulder of Kment which made it 4-1 to kill the momentum from the Amadio goal.
The Battalion were outshot 20-5 in the opening stanza.
Michael Amadio got the Battalion within two as he got a loose puck in the slot and spun around and lifted a wrist shot low to the short side past Perissini which made it 4-2 at 6:42 of the middle frame.
Amadio then pulled the Battalion within one as Mathew Santos fed Amadio in the slot and he slipped a shot through a sliding Perissini and it was 4-3 at 10:31.
The Fronts restored a two-goal lead as Conor McGlynn, the trailer on the play, walked across from the middle of the ice to the top of the circle on the left wing and his blast went through Kment which made the Fronts a 5-3 at 19:13.
Then, early in the third period Amadio got a pass across the slot from Maurizio Colella and he one-timed a wrist shot past Perissini to make it 5-4 at 3:06.
Then, the Battalion got the equalizer as Cam Dineen took a shot from the point and Michael Amadio tipped the shot coming through beating Jeremy Helvig, who replaced Perissini after the fourth Amadio goal, and that tied the score at 5-5 at 6:16.
Jake Kment made a huge save stopping Lawson Crouse on a shorthanded breakaway, however, Zach Shankar was called for a slash on the play, and that was costly.
On the ensuing power play, the Fronts restored the lead, as Spencer Watson picked up a rebound and beat Kment short side which made it 6-5 at 12:10 of the final frame.
With a last minute power play, the Battalion, with the net empty, were fighting for the puck in the crease but could not beat Helvig as the Fronts sweep the season series over the Troops.
The Battalion are back on the ice Monday afternoon as they travel to Ottawa to take on the 67’s for a Family Day matinee.
