The Manchester Monarchs returned home on Saturday night to take on the Reading the Royals. Doug Carr started in net for the Monarchs opposed by Martin Ouellette for the Royals. The Monarchs were able to control the puck off the opening draw. 
The Monarchs set up early in the Royals zone, dominating what looked to be a tired Royals team. The Monarchs went on an early 5-on-3 after penalties to Mike Marcou for delay of game, and Robbie Czarnik for tripping. The Monarchs struck first on power play goal from Matt Leitner, assisted by Maxim Kitsyn and Michael Boivin.
The Royals were able to get chances as the first period continued. They continued to go back and forth, but both goalies made some of their best saves of the game. The Royals tied the game on a goal by Nikita Kasnirsky assisted by Justin Crandall and Derik Johnson.
They continued to trade chances, but neither team found the back of the net again in the first. At the end of one the score was tied 1-1 with the Monarchs out shooting the Royals 11 to 8. The Monarchs came back for the second period looking to regain the lead.
But after trading chances for much of the first half, the Royals took control. Carr was shelled for what seemed like five minutes. The Royals broke through Carr to take the lead on a goal from Joey Sides assisted by Johnson and Kevin Young.
The Monarchs struggled in the second half of the period struggling to get the puck out past the blue line. The Royals struck again with just under five minutes left on a goal from Robbie Czarnik, assisted by Mike Pereira and Kevin Young. The second period ended with the Monarchs trailing 3-1 and the shots 23 to 20 for the Royals.
The Monarchs came back for the third looking to get themselves back in the game. Maxim Kitsyn took a break out pass from Joey Diamond, dangled through the Royals defense and slipped it past Ouellette for the goal.The Monarchs seemed to find their rhythm after Kitsyn’s goal.
Ouellette came up huge for the Royals as the Monarchs were pressing, he stopped all the secondary chances. Zach Leslie went to the box for tripping putting the Royals on the power play. Mike Marcou scored for the Royals on the power play assisted by Robbie Czarnik and Joey Sides.
The Monarchs once again found themselves down by two goals with time running out in the third period. With time winding down Zach Leslie scored his first pro goal, assisted by Michael Leitner and Matt Mckenzie. Unfortunately that was as close as they would get as they fell to the Royals 4-3 with the final shots 31-28 Monarchs.
Third star Matt Leitner, he had a goal and an assist in the loss for the Monarchs. Second star Maxim Kitsyn, keeping up his consistent offense Kitsyn had a goal and an assist in the game. First star Robbie Czarnik, the former Monarch returned to Manchester scoring a goal and adding an assist.
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