Conway's record-setting game leads Ice to big win

Scott Conway set an Indiana Ice record with four goals, carrying the Indiana Ice to a 9-1 victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints Wednesday at Pan Am Pavilion.

Conway's was the first four-goal game in Indiana Ice history. 

Conway was one of several Ice players with big nights, as the line he centers with Patrick Newell and Dwyer Tschantz combined for 5 goals and 8 assists. In addition, Jacob Pritchard had a five-point night with a goal and four assists.

The Ice actually trailed 1-0, as Seamus Malone scored his 22nd of the season on the power play, a rebound that bounced to his stick out of a goalmouth scramble. But the deficit didn't last long. Pritchard tied the game at 10:15 of the first, Tschantz scored the eventual game-winner at 14:20, and the floodgates opened in the second. Conway scored his first goal, skating into the slot and ripping a shot at 1:59 of the second.

Things broke open when Aidan Muir (5:37), Conway (6:38) and Brian Pinho (7:24) scored three goals in 1:27 to make it a 6-1 game. Conway cashed the hat trick at 11:47, and scored at 14:00 of the third to add the exclamation point. Jason Salvaggio also scored in the third period.

9 thoughts for 9 goals
1. Scott Conway was tremendous. Not only did he score, he had a couple of excellent chances that didn't go, including a shorthanded bid late in the second.
2. Seven of the nine Ice goals had two assists, showing solid puck movement.
3. The Newell (3A)-Conway (4G/A)-Tschantz (G/3A) line was tremendous, as all three were +4. But so was the trio of Pritchard (G/4A)-Brian Pinho (G/2A)-Aidan Muir (G/A), who were all +3.
4. Brian Pinho now has seven goals in his last 5 games. He has 27 for the season.
5. Conway became the first Iceman to top the 30-goal mark since Daniil Tarasov (47) and Sean Kuraly (32) did so in 2011-12. The two are now teammates on the Worcester Sharks, San Jose's AHL affiliate.
6. Lost in the offensive onslaught was another typically-solid night in net by Jason Pawloski and the Ice defense. He made 27 saves, with the one goal a difficult-to-stop shot on the power play. As often happens, the Ice defense made it a solid night for the goaltender, as Dubuque managed few scoring chances.
7. The Ice tied Waterloo for first place in the Anderson Cup race. Both teams have 89 points with two games left. The Ice finish at home Friday against Green Bay and travel to Chicago Saturday. Waterloo has a home-and-home with Cedar Rapids this weekend.
8. The nine goals are the most scored by an Ice team since beating Chicago 9-1 on Feb. 25, 2011. 
9. Tschantz has an amazing 28.2 shot percentage this season.

Boxscore

What's next
The Ice host Green Bay Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m.  

Looking ahead
The playoffs begin April 11-12 at Pan Am Pavilion. Tickets go on sale Friday morning. The first-round foe is still unkown. Muskegon will have a one-point edge on Green Bay and Chicago going into the weekend. The Ice play both of the latter this weekend. Team USA is two points back of Muskegon.