WORCESTER, MA – Kevin Morris recorded the first hat trick of his career and boosted the Manchester Monarchs past the Worcester Railers, 6-3, Saturday night at the DCU Center on Veteran’s Day.
The Monarchs (7-3-0-1) took their first win of the season against the Railers (5-4-1-0).
Manchester opened the scoring at 9:59 of the opening period when Morris started his big night on the power play and scored his fourth goal of the season. Morris was camped on the doorstep of Railers goaltender Mitch Gillam and tipped a Tony Cameranesi shot from the left dot five-hole, to put the Monarchs up, 1-0.
Manchester took a 2-0 lead when the power play struck again at 11:47 of the first period. Cameranesi corralled the puck on the left half-wall, took a tour of the offensive zone and sent a wrister over the blocker of Gillam from the right dot to double the Monarchs advantage.
The Monarchs added another when Morris scored his second goal of the night at 3:17 of the second period. Morris and Matt Schmalz went in on a 2-on-0 breakaway and played catch before Morris redirected the puck over the right leg of Gillam to make it a 3-0 lead.
Michael Doherty put the Monarchs up 4-0 when he scored his third goal of the season at 6:31 of the middle frame. Doherty crashed the net on a 3-on-2 rush, and was in the right place at the right time, as a centering puck from Rob Hamilton hit his skates and deflected past Gillam.
The Railers got on the board at 16:23 of the second period when Barry Almeida scored his third goal of the season on a power-play. Monarchs goaltender Charles Williams looked to be interfered with and was down in his crease, and Almeida found the loose puck to the left of the cage and buried the puck into an open net to make it a 4-1 game.
Worcester inched closer when Kellen Jones scored a shorthanded tally at 17:12 of the high-scoring second period for his third goal of the season. Jones broke into the Monarchs end on a 1-on-2, cut across the slot and sent a shot on Williams. The Monarchs goaltender made the initial save, but the rebound bounced back to Jones who then snuck the puck through Williams to cut the Monarchs lead to 4-2.
Morris completed his hat trick when he fired a slap shot past Gillam at 18:54 of the second period. While on the power play, Morris took a pass from Cameranesi and sent a one-timer from just above the left dot past the glove of Gillam to push the Monarchs advantage to 5-2 on his sixth goal of the season.
The Railers again cut into the Monarchs lead when Kyle McKenzie scored his first goal of the year at 2:07 of the third period. McKenzie took a touch pass at the left point from Jeff Kubiak and sent a slap shot through traffic and past Williams to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Monarchs.
Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman put the game on ice when he scored an empty-net-goal at 18:30 of the third period. LaVallee-Smotherman won the race to an iced puck and tucked away his sixth goal of the season to end the scoring at 6-3.
The Monarchs complete their three-in-three weekend on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. when they welcome the Worcester Railers to SNHU Arena. Make sure to be in your seat early, as Boston Bruins legendary anthem singer, Rene Rancourt, will perform the Canadian and American national anthems prior to puck drop.
Notes: Tony Cameranesi scored his 25th professional goal… The Railers’ Woody Hudson was given a game-misconduct at 6:57 of the first period… The Monarchs were outshot 39-27.
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