MANCHESTER, N.H. – Six goals from six different players paced the Manchester Monarchs in a 6-3 victory over the Norfolk Admirals on Wednesday night at SNHU Arena.
The Monarchs (14-7-1-1) have now taken both games against the Admirals (3-14-4-0) this season.
“I’m happy that we came out and played our game,” Monarchs Head Coach Rich Seeley said. “The challenge is to always have our guys engaged on the ice, especially when you are playing a good team like Norfolk, and I think we were able to accomplish that tonight.”
The Monarchs opened the scoring at 4:52 in the first period, when Rihards Bukarts netted his sixth goal of the season. Admirals goaltender Connor Knapp saved the original shot off the stick of Justin Agosta from the right circle, but the rebound kicked directly to Bukarts who sent a top-shelf shot past Knapp to give the Monarchs an early 1-0 lead.
The Admirals evened the game at 7:22 of the opening frame when T.J. Foster scored his third goal of the season. While on a partial breakaway, Foster skated to the left circle and sent a slap shot past the glove of Monarchs goaltender Sam Brittain to make the game 1-1.
Manchester took their lead back when Dean Yakura scored his first goal of the season, 14:30 into the first period. Zac Lynch stick-handled through traffic in the slot and left the puck for Yakura who sent a snap-shot through the five-hole of Knapp, making the score 2-1 Monarchs.
Connor Hardowa extended the lead for the Monarchs when he scored his second goal of the season at 5:06 of the second period. The rebound from a Tony Turgeon shot came to Hardowa in the high slot where he backhanded the puck past an out-of-position Knapp to put the Monarchs up 3-1.
The Admirals closed the gap at 6:58 into the second period to make it a 3-2 game when Jaedon Descheneau scored his fourth goal of the season. Descheneau received a pass from Jeff DiNallo and skated into the right face-off dot where he sent a shot that squeezed through the five-hole of Brittain, bringing the Admirals to within one.
The Monarchs took their two-goal lead back when Kevin Morris notched his second goal of the season at 8:49 of the second period. After a scramble in the Admirals zone, Morris was in the right place at the right time when a shot from David Kolomatis was deflected high into the air and bounced off Morris’ body past Knapp to make the score 4-2 Manchester.
Lynch got into goal column when he netted his third marker of the season at 14:32 of the second period. While at the top of Knapp’s crease, Lynch found the rebound off a Turgeon shot and put a one-timer up-and-over Knapp’s glove, extending the Monarchs lead to 5-2.
The Admirals made it a 5-3 game at 14:34 of the third period with a goal from John Dunbar. Dunbar capitalized on a one-timer when he secured the rebound off a John Kurtz shot, that he sent past Brittain’s glove for his sixth goal of the season.
Quentin Shore solidified the Monarchs 6-3 win with an empty-net-goal at 19:51 of the third period, his ninth goal of the season.
The Monarchs are back in action Friday night at 7 p.m. when they finish their two-game series with the Norfolk Admirals at SNHU Arena.
Notes: Connor Hardowa scored his tenth professional goal… Craig Wyszomirksi recorded his first career two-point game… Rihards Bukarts scored his fifth goal in his last three games… Dean Yakura scored in his first game with the Monarchs.
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