ECHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs Nail Wheeling, 6-2

February 14, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


Manchester Monarchs Forward Matt Fornataro
Manchester Monarchs Forward Matt Fornataro
(Manchester Monarchs)

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Matt Fornataro scored two goals in his Manchester Monarchs debut, leading his new team to a 6-2 win over the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday afternoon at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

The Monarchs (30-14-1-4) took their first-ever meeting with the Nailers (21-21-2-3), and have now gone 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games.

"We wanted to come out and set the tone tonight, and the guys did just that," Head Coach, Rich Seeley said. "We preach the importance of getting out to a good start, which we did tonight, and we got the result we were looking for."

The Monarchs opened the scoring :52 seconds into the first period with Fornataro's 1st goal in a Monarchs sweater. Stefan Legein hit Fornataro skating down the left boards with a pass before Fornataro sent a backhander from the slot past Nailers goaltender, Brian Foster, high glove side.

The Monarchs took a two-goal lead at 5:52 in the first when Darik Angeli netted his 6th tally of the season. Matt MacKenzie took a shot from the right point that Angeli found to put the loose puck past Foster, low glove side.

Yann Sauvé extended the lead for the Monarchs at 11:17 in the first period with his 7th goal of the season. Robbie Donahoe passed the puck to Sauvé at the point and Sauvé slid down to the high slot and wristed a five-hole goal through Foster.

The Nailers made it a 3-1 game :57 seconds into the second period with a goal from Mathew Maione. Maione netted his 6th goal of the season when he skated down the right side to put a wrist shot past Monarchs goaltender, Colin Stevens, high stick side.

The Monarchs added their lead when Fornataro netted his 2nd goal of the night at 2:19 in the second period. Fornataro found the rebound off of a Stefan Legein shot and stuffed in the loose puck past new Nailers goaltender, Casey DeSmith.

The Nailers cut into the Monarchs lead again at 10:44 in the second period with an unassisted goal from Connor Leen. Leen skated in on a 2-on-1 and put a wrist shot past Stevens, stick side, from the left circle.

Maxim Kitsyn put the Monarchs up by three when he scored his team-leading 20th goal of the season at 15:32 in the third period. Joey Diamond skated down to the left circle and found Kitsyn's stick at the top of DeSmith's crease for a one-timer.

Diamond solidified the win for the Monarchs with an empty-net goal from the right dot at 18:52 in the third period.

The Monarchs return to the ice Wednesday, Feb. 17 (7 p.m.), in a divisional showdown with the Reading Royals from the Santander Arena in Reading, Pa.

Notes

Steven Hodges (2a), Matt Fornataro (2g), Joey Diamond (1g, 1a), Matt Leitner (2a) and Stefan Legein (2a) all had multi-point nights for Manchester

Maxim Kitsyn has now scored points in 14-of-15 games and (10g, 8a)

Wheeling goaltender, Brian Foster, was pulled at 8:43 of the first period after allowing three goals on seven shots




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Manchester Monarchs Forward Matt Fornataro
Manchester Monarchs Forward Matt Fornataro
   



ECHL Stories from February 14, 2016


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