Quick DaSilva Finishes Off Monarchs In Nail Biter
Published on October 5, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
FITCHBURG, MA - Right wing Dan DaSilva tipped in the game-winning goal with less than a minute on the clock as the Manchester Monarchs fell to Worcester Sharks 5-4 in their lone exhibition game at the Wallace Civic Center on Sunday afternoon.
DaSilva redirected right wing Matt Jones' shot from the center point past goaltender Jeff Zatkoff at 19:16 of the final period to finish off the Monarchs 5-4. Defenseman Brett Westgarth, brother of Los Angeles Kings right wing Kevin Westgarth, fed the puck to Jones at the point for the game-winning goal.
The Monarchs found the scoreboard first when right wing Denny Johnston ripped a shot passed Sharks goaltender Tomas Greiss at 5:04 of the first period. Forward Michael Cohen dug the puck out of the left corner and passed it up to left wing Paul Crosty who was stationed inside the left face-off circle. The puck got lost between Crosty and the Worcester players' skates and popped free to Johnston between the hash marks. Johnston, on a professional tryout with Manchester, picked up the loose puck and rifled a shot into the net to make it 1-0.
The Sharks evened the score at 1-1 with a goal from left wing Jamie McGinn at 8:24 of the opening frame. Former Monarchs defenseman Brendan Buckley fed the puck to defenseman Matt Kinch at the right point. Kinch blasted a shot just wide of Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier. The puck bounced off the end boards and landed to the right of Bernier's left pad. On the doorstep, McGinn jammed the puck off the goaltender's pad and into the net for the equalizer.
Manchester had just killed off the first of two penalties when left wing P.J. Fenton scored a power play goal at the 13-minute mark of the first period to give Worcester a 2-1 lead heading into the locker room. Kinch fired a shot on net that Bernier was in position for the save. The rebound bounced to Fenton who was open in the right face-off circle for the quick one-timer into the open net. Defenseman Patrick Traverse assisted on the power play goal.
Monarchs defenseman Dinos Stamoulis evened the game at 2-2 with his first of the preseason at 4:40 of the second period. Center Trevor Lewis picked up the puck from center Gabe Gauthier in the neutral zone and dropped it off to Stamoulis before sprinting into the offensive zone. Stamoulis carried the puck over the blueline and snapped a fluttering slap shot that beat Greiss to even the score at 2-2.
One minute and 14-seconds later, Worcester regained their one goal lead with a tally from center Andrew Desjardins at 5:54 of the middle frame. A Sharks player tripped up Bernier in the goal crease, just as the netminder caught his balance and positioned himself in the net. Desjardins shot the puck from along the left wing boards that beat Bernier five-hole for the go-ahead goal.
The Monarchs evened the game at 3-3 at the 14:25 mark of the final stanza with a tally by right wing Jon Rheault. Center Marty Murray wristed a shot on Greiss from the left face-off circle. Greiss made the save and the rebound bounced free to the left hash mark for Rheault to rip into the back of the net. Center Bud Holloway earned an assist on Rheault's first professional goal.
Shortly after Rheault's goal, Crosty dropped the gloves with Sharks left wing Frazer McLaren. Crosty dominated the tussle and as a result earned two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting and a game misconduct to McLaren's fighting major at 14:51 of the third period.
McGinn tallied his second of the game at 16:21 of the final stanza on the power play. Right wing Ryan Vesce and Traverse both took shots from point blank range on Zatkoff, who replaced Bernier at the 10-minute mark of the second period. Zatkoff made both saves but McGinn was on the right doorstep to flip the rebound over the sprawled goaltender for his second of the night.
The Monarchs tied the score, 4-4, at 18:39 of the third period when Lewis redirected in defenseman Andrew Martens' shot from the right point.
The Monarchs open their eighth season on the road against the Portland Pirates at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m. followed by a contest with the Lowell Devils at the Tsongas Arena on Friday, October 17 at 7 p.m. before they return to the Verizon Wireless Arena for the home opener against the Devils on Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m. Catch all of the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey with Ken Cail on the Monarchs Radio Network WGAM 900/1250 AM and at www.manchestermonarchs.com.
American Hockey League Stories from October 5, 2008
- Chops finish pre-season with thrilling 4-3 OT win - Iowa Chops
- Hartford pushes shutout streak against the Sound Tigers to two games - Bridgeport Islanders
- Quick DaSilva Finishes Off Monarchs In Nail Biter - Manchester Monarchs
- Hartford whitewashes Bridgeport again in preseason finale - Connecticut Whale
- Sharks See-Saw Past Monarchs 5-4 In Fitchburg - Worcester Sharks
- Minnesota Wild reassigns four players to Aeros, one to juniors - Houston Aeros
- New Jersey Devils Reduce Roster to 23 - Albany Devils
- Dan LaCosta Recalled by Columbus - Syracuse Crunch
- Amerks Trim Roster By Ten - Rochester Americans
- Devils Nipped By Sound Tigers, 4-3 - Albany Devils
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