Sports stats



AHL Cleveland Monsters

Monsters Held off by Stars, 6-4

March 11, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Monsters News Release


Monsters Held off by Stars, 6-4
Monsters Held off by Stars, 6-4
(Cleveland Monsters)

Despite two third period goals, the Lake Erie Monsters (26-24-5-3) saw their valiant comeback attempt fall just short, as the Texas Stars (26-18-13-1) topped the Monsters 6-4 Wednesday night at Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Texas. Ben Youds, Sam Henley, Ben Street, and Reid Petryk scored goals for the Monsters. The Monsters continue their five-game road trip Friday night against the San Antonio Rampage at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

Texas opened the scoring when Scott Glennie tipped a Justin Dowling point shot past Sami Aittokallio at 6:56 of the opening frame, and the Stars made the score 2-0 with a power play goal from Julius Honka at 10:34 of the first period. Honka stepped into the left circle and picked the far top corner of the net.

With the Monsters on a 38-second power play to start the middle frame, Ben Youds took the puck from end to end, splitting a pair of Stars penalty killers en route to a backhand deke finish, pulling the Monsters to within a goal 30 seconds into the second period. The goal was his sixth of the season and first as a Monster. Aittokallio had the lone assist on Youds' goal. Derek Meech countered for Texas, made the score 3-1 for the Stars when he followed in a rush, received a centering pass from Dowling in the high slot, and gunned a slap shot past Aittokallio.

Once again, the Monsters pulled to within a goal when Sam Henley netted his fifth goal of the season from a near-impossible angle at 2:52 of the second period. Henley beat Jussi Rynnas over the shoulder, top-shelf, from below the left circle, shrinking the Stars lead to 3-2. Texas netted a late-period goal with 1:16 left in the second, as Julius Honka snapped a backhand pass to Kevin Henderson in the right circle, and Henderson finished the play with a goal, giving the Stars a 4-2 lead.

At 9:43 of the third period, Texas opened up a 5-2 lead when Derek Hulak pulled a puck to the front of the net and scored on a low shot for a power play goal.

Ben Street pulled the Monsters back to within a pair when he ripped a wrist shot from the right circle past Rynnas, assisted by Agozzino, for his sixth goal of the campaign. Reid Petryk capitalized on a Texas turnover, netting a snap shot off the crossbar and in to pull the Monsters to within a goal at 15:47 of the third period with the net empty at the Monsters end. The Monsters came close to tying the game late, but Texas sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:45 of the third period. Travis Morin's empty-net goal made the score 6-4 for Texas.

Aittokallio stopped 23 of 28 shots in the loss; he is 6-5-1 on the season. Rynnas is 19-5-8 for the Stars after stopping 36 of 40 shots.

The Monsters visit San Antonio Friday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. Friday's game airs live on AM 1420 'The Answer'.

NOTES: Agozzino and Street stretched their individual point streaks to three games; they each have five points over their last three games... The Monsters are 11-11-4-1 on the road this season, and they are 2-1-0-0 against Texas with one matchup against the Stars remaining on the schedule... Aittokallio and Rynnas each collected assists in the game... The Monsters were 2-3 on the power play and the Stars were 2-5 with the man-advantage... Follow the Monsters on Twitter @monstershockey, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lakeeriemonsters, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/monstershockey.

Check out the Cleveland Monsters Statistics




Images from this story

Monsters Held off by Stars, 6-4
Monsters Held off by Stars, 6-4
   

• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...

American Hockey League Stories from March 11, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central