Monarchs Blank Thunder, 5-0
March 23, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
Matt Schmalz of the Manchester Monarchs battles the Adirondack Thunder
(Manchester Monarchs)
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Manchester Monarchs shut out the Adirondack Thunder, 5-0, Friday night at SNHU Arena.
The Monarchs (40-20-3-2) captured their seventh straight victory, 5-0, over the Thunder (37-22-3-4) and pulled within one point of clinching a playoff berth.
The Monarchs opened the scoring at 10:08 of the first period, when Spencer Watson scored his 22nd goal of the season. Watson stepped out of the penalty box and received a pass from Jake Wood, where he skated down the right wing and cut across the crease, backhanding a shot over the pad of Adirondack goaltender, Olivier Mantha, to make the score, 1-0, Monarchs.
Manchester scored just :11 seconds later, when Matt Schmalz scored his 22nd goal of the season at 10:19 of the first period. Schmalz brought the puck down the left side, ducked around an Adirondack defenseman and cut towards net, where he buried a shot five-hole, to make the score, 2-0.
The Monarchs increased their lead at 7:00 of the second period, when Watson scored his 23rd goal of the season and 2nd of the game on the power play. Alexx Privitera gained control of a rebound in the slot and sent a pass to Watson, who was sitting at the far post, where he tipped the puck past the leg of Mantha, to make the score, 3-0.
Manchester lit the lamp yet again at 8:08 of the third period, when Michael Doherty scored his 17th goal of the season. After gaining control of the puck in the neutral zone, Doherty skated in on a 2-on-0 with Schmalz, but saw an opening in the net and fired a shot over the blocker of Mantha, to give the Monarchs a 4-0 lead.
The Monarchs finished the scoring at 11:25 of the third period on the 1st goal of the season by Ryan Lough, in his professional debut. Keegan Iverson sent a pass to Lough as he crossed over the blue line, where he skated into the slot and wristed a shot through the legs of Mantha, to give the Monarchs a 5-0 lead.
The Monarchs are back in action Saturday night (6 p.m.) when they face off against the Adirondack Thunder at SNHU Arena, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth.
NOTES:
Matt Leitner played in his 150th ECHL game.
:11 seconds is the fastest two goals the Monarchs have recorded this season.
Evan Cowley made 34 saves in his first shutout of the season.
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 Matt Schmalz of the Manchester Monarchs battles the Adirondack Thunder |
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