ELMIRA, NY – The Elmira Jackals (3-10-2-0) got two goals, including the game-winning goal, from Steven Kaunisto and defeated the first-place Manchester Monarchs (11-6-0-1) 5-3 at First Arena Saturday night.
In the first game of a 14-game head-to-head season series between the clubs, the Jackals raced out to a 1-0 lead at 13:29 of the first period on Kenton Miller’s fourth goal of the season. Greg Amlong took a shot intentionally wide to create a rebound in front and Miller found the puck and beat Jonah Imoo to give the Jackals a 1-0 lead. Vaclav Karabacek picked up the secondary assist on the goal, his first professional point.
The game see-sawed in the second period, with the Monarchs taking a one-goal lead 3:11 into the period. First, Derek Arnold scored his third goal of the season at 2:17 to tie the game at one. Less than a minute later it was Joe Diamond who scored off the skate of a Jackals player to put Manchester up 2-1. Later in the period the Monarchs had a goal waved off for goalie interference, and the Jackals used that to flip momentum back in their favor.
Greg Betzold tied the game at two with 6:25 to play in the second period, snapping home a shot from the right circle following a faceoff. The shot tipped in off a Monarchs stick and got past Imoo for Betzold’s second goal in two nights. Then Mike Radja pounced on a rebound at 15:52 of the second to give the Jackals a 3-2 lead, with Karabacek and Miller collecting their second points of the night with the assists.
Elmira opened a two-goal lead in the third period as Steven Kaunisto collected a puck at the left circle and buried it in an open net 3:15 into the third, staking the Jackals to a 4-2 lead. The Monarchs made a late charge, getting back within one on a power-play goal by Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman at 11:17. The Monarchs would pull their goalie and Kaunisto took advantage with his second goal of the period with 19 seconds left in regulation to ice the game as he gave Elmira a 5-3 lead.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. at First Arena.
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