AHL Cleveland Monsters

Coleman Rebounds to Send Monsters into All-Star Break with a Win

Published on January 28, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Monsters News Release


Gerald Coleman stopped all but one of the 29 shots he faced in a bounce-back effort to help the Lake Erie Monsters (20-22-2-1) to a 3-1 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs (19-19-1-4) in front of 14,230 fans at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday night. Coleman's efforts - coming on the heels of giving up four goals on seven shots in 17 minutes against Toronto on Thursday - send the Monsters into the annual AHL All-Star break on a winning note. Three different Monsters scored in the team's fifth straight win over their division rivals from Hamilton on the season.

Mike Carman was credited with the Monsters first goal - his third of the season - when a Joel Chouinard wrist shot from the left point bounced off Carman's midsection and into the Hamilton net. Tyson Barrie also assisted on the goal at 17:06 of the opening period; it was the team-leading 23rd assist of the season for the Monsters representative in Monday's American Hockey League All-Star Game.

Hamilton tied the game at 1-1 when former Monsters forward Brian Willsie received a pass in front of the Lake Erie net from Louis LeBlanc, tapping the puck over the goal line at 5:03 of the second period. The goal would be the only one allowed by Coleman on the night.

Less than two minutes later, at 6:54 of the second period, Lake Erie's Patrick Rissmiller deflected a David Liffiton shot from the right circle between the legs of Hamilton goalie Nathan Lawson for the eventual game-winning goal. Rissmiller's fourth of the season made the score 2-1 in favor of the Monsters, and was also assisted by Evan Brophey.

Luke Walker added an unassisted emptynet goal on a shot from the neutral zone with 17 seconds left in the game, his sixth goal of the season, resulting in the 3-1 final.

Coleman stopped 28 of 29 shots and improves to 3-2-0 as a Monster; he also defeated the Bulldogs on Tuesday night (37 saves on 38 shots; 4-1 Monsters win). Lawson suffers the loss in net for the Bulldogs; he stopped 23 of 25 shots, and is 11-11-3.

The Monsters are now officially on All-Star break. Lake Erie rookie defenseman Tyson Barrie will head to the mid-season classic, which can be seen live on FOX Sports Ohio on Monday night at 7:00 PM. He and his Monsters teammates reconvene for a trip to Texas, where they will meet the San Antonio Rampage Friday night at 8:00 PM, with all the action being carried live on AM 1220 WHKW.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 28, 2012


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