ECHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs Fall to Thunder in Shootout, 4-3

Published on October 14, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


Monarchs Fall to Thunder in Shootout, 4-3
Monarchs Fall to Thunder in Shootout, 4-3
(Manchester Monarchs)

MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Manchester Monarchs opened the 2016-17 season with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Adirondack Thunder on Friday night at SNHU Arena. The Monarchs couldn't capitalize on a late goal from Quentin Shore and suffered their first loss of the season.

The Monarchs (0-0-0-1) and Thunder (1-0-0-0) will meet again Saturday night.

"We didn't play the way we wanted to play," said Monarchs Head Coach, Rich Seeley. "I liked some of the things we did out there, but we have some work to do. We played each other tough last season, and I see that continuing this year."

The Thunder opened the scoring at 14:55 of the first period when Dana Fraser scored his 1st goal of the season. Greg Wolfe one-timed a shot from middle of the left circle that went wide, but the puck bounced off the boards to Fraser who tucked it behind Monarchs goaltender, Colin Stevens, giving the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Despite a flurry of shots at the end of the first period, the Monarchs were unable to score and went to the break trailing by one.

After a scrum in front of Stevens at the 2:50 mark of the second period, Adirondack's Brian Ward made the score, 2-0. Ward found the puck on his stick below the circles and floated a shot on goal that made its way past the blocker of Stevens to extend the Adirondack lead.

The Monarchs would battle back at 6:51 of the second period when Daniel Ciampini scored his 1st goal of the season. Ciampini received a pass from behind the net from Justin Agosta, and sent a shot over the blocker of Adirondack goaltender, Mason McDonald, to cut the Thunder lead in half, 2-1.

Moments after a Monarchs power play expired, Matt Leitner and Derek Arnold were able to find teammate Justin Gutierrez, who finished off the tic-tac-toe play along the goal line, sending the puck past McDonald to tie the game, 2-2, at 18:08 of the second.

Just over a minute after the Monarchs tied the game, Wolfe walked into the offensive zone and ripped a slap shot past the glove of Stevens with :48 seconds remaining in the second period, giving the Thunder the lead back, 3-2.

With 1:33 left on the clock in the third period, Quentin Shore received a cross-crease pass from Matt Leitner, and with an open net in front of him, scored the game-tying-goal that would send the contest into overtime.

After a scoreless overtime frame, the game went to a shootout. The Thunder were able to score twice in four rounds, with the Monarchs lone conversion coming on a Ciampini tally, giving Adirondack the 4-3 victory.

The Monarchs and Thunder will square off again Saturday, Oct. 15 at SNHU Arena (6 p.m.), in game two of the Opening Weekend series between the North Division rivals.

Notes

Daniel Ciampini scored the first goal of the season for the Monarchs

Justin Gutierrez and Quentin Shore netted their first goals of their careers in their first professional game

Matt Leitner recorded two assists

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Monarchs Fall to Thunder in Shootout, 4-3
Monarchs Fall to Thunder in Shootout, 4-3
   



ECHL Stories from October 14, 2016


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