AHL Manchester Monarchs

Kozy at Home

Published on November 16, 2013 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


MANCHESTER, NH - Right wing Brandon Kozun picked up two tallies as the Manchester Monarchs edged the Norfolk Admirals, 3-2, at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday night.

Manchester (11-3-1-2) leads the Atlantic Division with 25 points. Norfolk (8-6-0-3) is fourth in the East Division with 19 points.

"We tried to put some combinations together that looked like they made sense and it worked out, so we can't second guess that," said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris. "It all started in the net and the (defense) did a good job. Up front, we got some timely scoring. That early goal certainly helped us a great deal. To their credit, they didn't give up; they kept pushing and it went right down to the wire."

Kozun netted his second goal of the game, a shorthanded tally, to give the Monarchs a 3-1 lead at 5:44 of the third period. Defenseman Andrew Campbell won a puck battle along the defensive blueline. The puck was freed along the boards and slid toward center ice where center Jordan Weal picked it up and skated into the offensive zone. Kozun rushed down the left wing and snuck behind a diving defender. Weal snapped the puck into the crease and Kozun was able to get a piece of his stick on the puck for the tip. The puck flew over the goaltender's right shoulder and into the back of the net to put Manchester up 3-1 in the early third.

Kozun opened the game with his third goal of the season at 1:15 of the first period. Defenseman Derek Forbort dumped the puck from the offensive blueline to behind the net where defenseman Nick Deslauriers grabbed the puck. Deslauriers fed a blind backhand pass toward the crease. Norfolk's goaltender John Gibson was unable to control the loose puck and Kozun took advantage by banking home his third goal of the game.

Deslauriers found the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season, on the power play, at 13:36 of the first period. Forward Andy Andreoff won a battle along the boards and the puck squirted free to the top of the circle. Weal took control of the loose puck and started skating toward the net with a defender on him. Weal found Deslauriers open across the ice at the opposite face-off circle. The defenseman buried a one-timer, top shelf, to beat Gibson to give the Monarchs a 2-1 lead

At 5:17 in the second period, Norfolk picked up a goal when the puck was deflected off the stick of center Chris Wagner. Defenseman Sami Vatanen sent a blueline pass across to fellow defenseman Alex Grant, who ripped a one-timer at the top of the face-off circle to Monarchs goaltender Jean-Francois Berube's right side. Wagner deflected home Grant's slap shot which beat Berube to cut the lead down to one.

Norfolk answered Kozun's eventual game-winning goal with center Joseph Laganiere's first goal of the season at 8:23 of the third period. Defenseman Garnet Exelby sent a pass from the left side of the offensive blueline to the right face-off circle to center Maxime Sauve. The center one-touched the feed from Exelby toward the net where Laganiere was positioned to the right of Berube. The puck hit the blade of Laganiere's stick and soared into the back of the net to bring the score to 3-2.

Berube (2-2-0) earned his second win of the season stopping 28-of-30 shots. Gibson (6-4-3) took his fourth loss of the season making 27 saves on 30 shots.

Manchester went 1-for-5 on the power play. Norfolk went 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 16, 2013


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