MANCHESTER, NH – A three-goal first period and the first shutout of the season for Sam Brittain paced the Monarchs to a 4-0 victory over the Brampton Beast in Game 3 of the North Division Finals on Monday night at SNHU Arena.
The Monarchs (6-3) now lead the North Division Finals against the Beast (5-4), 2-1.
The Monarchs took an early 1-0 lead at 10:39 of the first period when Quentin Shore scored his 4th goal of the playoffs. Kevin Morris drove to the net along the right-wing boards where he took a shot off the pads of Beast goaltender, Zachary Fucale. Morris followed his own shot and pushed the rebound in front of the net where Shore sent the puck to the back of the cage to give Manchester the lead.
Manchester extended their lead at 13:17 of the first period when Daniel Doremus scored his 2nd goal of the post-season. Doremus took the puck out of the defensive end and skated in on a 2-on-1 with Shore. Doremus held the puck until he drifted below the dot where he sniped a shot over the glove of Fucale to give the Monarchs a 2-0 lead.
Just moments later, Matt Leitner scored his 4th goal of the playoffs at 13:58 of the first period, just 16 seconds into a Monarchs power play. Leitner took a shot from the point through traffic that found its way through skates and sticks and right through the wickets of Fucale, to push the Monarchs lead to 3-0.
At 17:46 of the second period, the Monarchs extended their lead to 4-0, when Daniel Ciampini netted his 2nd goal of the playoffs. Craig Wyszomirski cleared the puck out of his own zone along the right wall. Ciampini grabbed the loose puck and skated into the offensive zone and with a defender trailing, sent a wrister over the glove of Fucale.
A scoreless third period helped seal the deal on the Monarchs, 4-0, victory.
The Monarchs continue their three-game homestand at SNHU Arena on Tuesday, May 2 (7 p.m.), when they play Game 4 of the North Division Finals against the Brampton Beast.
Notes
- Sam Brittain’s shutout was the first for the Monarchs in the 2016-17 season
- Daniel Ciampini scored for the second-consecutive game
- A line brawl broke out at 13:53 of the third period, resulting in 41 combined penalty minutes
- The three-goal first period was the highest scoring period for the Monarchs during the playoffs
