ELMIRA, NY – The Manchester Monarchs traveled to Elmira, New York to take on the Elmira Jackals to continue their three-game road swing. The Monarchs looked to build off their come back win in Brampton but when the ice chips had settled, it was the host Jackals who came away with a 2-1 victory in a shootout.
Each team struggled to find a footing in their offensive zones in the early stages of the game. The Jackals found footing first and started to pound Manchester goalie Doug Carr with shots from all areas of the offensive zone. The Monarchs were finally able to break the Jackals momentum and gain some of their own as the teams went back and forth racking up the shots throughout the period.
Spiro Goulakos went off for a high sticking minor at the 12:42 mark, giving the Monarchs a power play opportunity. Darik Angeli made good use of the advantage, scoring his second career goal assisted by Yann Sauve and David Kolomatis.
Just 23 second later Danik Paquette was set off the ice for a hooking minor giving the Jackals an opportunity to tie the game. Allan McPherson made the Monarchs pay, scoring a power play goal assisted by Mike Seidel and Tyler Currier. The first period came to a close with the game tied 1-1 and the shots 13 to 10.
The second period started with each team looking to find the advantage. The teams continued to trade chances but both goalies stood on their head. The Monarchs were getting the bulk of the opportunities but goalie C.J. Motte came up huge for the Jackals.
Manchester continued to pound away on the Elmira defense, but Motte continued to be strong throughout the period. The goalies at both ends of the ice kept the game tied at one and the shots favoring Manchester 31-20.
The Monarchs came back out for the third period looking to solve Motte but neither he nor Carr were willing to budge. The teams continued to trade chances in the early stages of the stanza but the Monarchs couldn’t find the back of net, allowing the Jackals to gain momentum. Carr stood his ground, making sure that the game stayed tied and the Monarchs could continue their fast transition game that has made them so successful.
As the period wore on, neither team could find any edge, each rush was countered. They seemed to just be skating up and down the ice in succession. The third period ended tied at one and the shots 43-32 Monarchs.
When the puck dropped for the three-on-three overtime, the Monarchs were looking to somehow slip one past Motte. Each team picked up right where they had left off with rushes at each end of the ice. The Jackals started to pick up their pace getting more chances than the Monarchs. Carr was forced to make some of his bast saves of the game to keep it tied.
The overtime ended in a tied and the shots 45-37 Monarchs, sending the teams to a shootout. In the third round of the penalty shot round, Kevin Claire became the night’s hero when her score on Carr.
Third star in the game went to Elmira’s McPherson who scored the only goal in regulation for the Jackals. Second star was given to Elmira goalie Motte for stopping 44 of 45 shots to earn the victory. First star was awarded to the Jackals’ Claire for securing the win for Elmira in the shootout as he beat Carr with a great move.
The Monarchs will wrap up their three game road swing in Glen Falls, New York on Saturday when they take on the Adirondack Thunder.
Contact the author at james.mcgowan@prohockeynews.com
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