MANCHESTER, N.H. – This season’s Manchester Monarchs squad continues to struggle after falling being early, losing 4-3 to the Maine Mariners on Saturday night.
Scott Savage got the Mariners on the board first, tipping in a shot three minutes into the contest, with Ryan Gropp putting Maine up 2-0 with another tip-in halfway through the opening period.
Jack Nevins put the Monarchs on the board before the first intermission with a curling slapshot from the left circle to the far upper side of the net, but Alex Kile regained Maine’s two-goal lead in the second period off a laser beam just inches from the blue line.
Michael Doherty poked home Manchester’s second goal 1:39 into the third period, pushing the puck after it nearly crossed through the crease on his first effort.
Manchester finally tied things up halfway through the third period thanks to Pavel Jenys’ one-timer off an offensive zone faceoff.
Doherty left with just under seven minutes in regulation following a vicious leg check by Bryce Martin, giving Manchester a five-minute power play and sending Martin to the dressing room with a game misconduct.
The Monarchs would not capitalize on that power play, but Gropp obtained his second goal of the game with just over a minute left in the third to finish off Manchester.
Manchester is now 2-8-1-0 when their opponents score first and 7-11-1-1 when outshooting their opponent.
The Monarchs faceoff against Maine again on Thursday in Portland, followed by a pair of games in Glens Falls against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday and Saturday.
