On the Beat With the Milwaukee Admirals

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Admirals held a Salute to Pro Wrestling Night featuring Stan Hansen, Lisa Marie Varon, Lex Luger and Earl Hebner. Wrestling legends and a hockey game were plenty incentive to get Tony Feddeler and me to make the easy trip across the Wisconsin border.

Hosted by Wisconsin's David Herro and Great Lakes Championship Wrestling, this was a great chance to meet four wrestling legends. It was a rare appearance by Stan Hansen, a Hall of Famer and former AWA champ while wrestling in this area.

Our trip there included a stop at the legendary Brat Stop for lunch. Tony had The Bratfather, a burger topped with a brat, while I had chicken quesadillas. We split an appetizer combo. The food always lives up to its reputation. We were two hungry guys, but we had to take some of it as leftovers.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Admirals, Tony and I got in early to begin our coverage. After a quick lap around the arena, we headed to the Media Room, where we caught up with David and Lisa Marie, who have become friends with us from our many previous interactions. They truly are two of the finest folks in wrestling or anywhere.

I have attended many Wisconsin events run by David and GLCW. They are all outstanding times. I also occasionally see David at comic cons and other such events.

I have been a fan of Lisa's for many years. A true wrestling legend< lisa owned a Chicago restaurant several years ago. It was one of my favorite place to hang out or watch wresling events and of course, to see Lisa, a very visible and friendly owner. I just adore this sweetheart of a person.

After the wrestlers' session, Tony and I settled in for great hockey action, although “settling in” is a bit misleading, as we roamed the stadium to get the feel from all over. We also engaged in good-natured cross-border jabbing with the fans.

The Admirals were seeking revenge on the San Diego Gulls, who beat them the previous night. Despite outshooting the Gulls 40-24, the Ads were victims of a 5-0 shutout.

This game started better. About halfway through the first period, Kevin Gravel put the Adds on the board first with his first goal of the season, assisted by Luke Evangelista and Jimmy Huntington. The period ended 1-0 Ads.

The second period featured a goal burst by the home team. In a 2:27 span, the Admirals notched three goals. The barrage started with Jordan Cross netting his third of the season, assisted by Kiefer Sherwood and Kevin Gravel. Phil Tomasino continued the onslaught with his ninth, assisted by Jimmy Huntington and Egor Afanasyev. Cole Schneider put his 13th in the net, assisted by Luke Evangelista and Jordan Gross.

The Ads weren't done yet though. With 4:40 left in the second, Markus Nurmi's ninth, assisted by Cole Schneider and Adam Wilsby, gave the Admirals a 5-0 lead.

Unfortunately, the Gulls broke the shutout with 2:14 left in the period. Glen Sawdin snuck one in, assisted by Michael Del Zotto.

The third period was scoreless and the fans went home happy with the 5-1 win. The Ads were now just six points behind first place Texas.

Milwaukee goalie Devin Cooley stopped 15 of the 16 shots he faced. His San Diego counterparts Lukas Dostal and Olle Eriksson combined to stop 36 of the 41 shots the Admirals took.

During the night, we also ran into friends including Joe Mauriello and Charles Alexander. Plus, we made quite a few new acquaintances among the fans. They are a fun, knowledgeable bunch.

With the season about half over, the Admirals are in a tight fight in the Central Division. The top four teams (Texas, Rockford, Milwaukee and Manitoba) are separated by only nine points. It's too soon to predict a winner, but a playoff spot looks like a good bet for the Admirals.

Thank you to the entire Milwaukee Admirals organization for making this possible. From my first contact with VP/Communications Charlie Lawson to every staffer at the venue, the experience could not have been smoother. I already look forward to making more games. My heart is still with my Chicago Wolves, but I now have a place there for the Ads!