Monarchs fall to Thunder in shootout, 4-3

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Daniel Ciampini scored his first goal of the season in the second period, but it wasn't enough to silence the Thunder.
Daniel Ciampini scored his first goal of the season in the second period, but it wasn’t enough to silence the Thunder.

MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Monarchs opened the 2016-17 season with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Adirondack Thunder on Friday night at SNHU Arena. The Monarchs couldn’t capitalize on a late goal from Quentin Shore and suffered their first loss of the season.

The Monarchs (0-0-0-1) and Thunder (1-0-0-0) will meet again Saturday night.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to play,” said Monarchs Head Coach, Rich Seeley. “I liked some of the things we did out there, but we have some work to do. We played each other tough last season, and I see that continuing this year.”

The Thunder opened the scoring at 14:55 of the first period when Dana Fraser scored his  first goal of the season. Greg Wolfe one-timed a shot from middle of the left circle that went wide, but the puck bounced off the boards to Fraser who tucked it behind Monarchs goaltender, Colin Stevens, giving the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Despite a flurry of shots at the end of the first period, the Monarchs were unable to score and went to the break trailing by one.

After a scrum in front of Stevens at the 2:50 mark of the second period, Adirondack’s Brian Ward made the score, 2-0. Ward found the puck on his stick below the circles and floated a shot on goal that made its way past the blocker of Stevens to extend the Adirondack lead.

The Monarchs would battle back at 6:51 of the second period when Daniel Ciampini scored his 1st goal of the season. Ciampini received a pass from behind the net from Justin Agosta, and sent a shot over the blocker of Adirondack goaltender, Mason McDonald, to cut the Thunder lead in half, 2-1.

Moments after a Monarchs power play expired, Matt Leitner and Derek Arnold were able to find teammate Justin Gutierrez, who finished off the tic-tac-toe play along the goal line, sending the puck past McDonald to tie the game, 2-2, at 18:08 of the second. =

Got tickets e1476538969923Just over a minute after the Monarchs tied the game, Wolfe walked into the offensive zone and ripped a slap shot past the glove of Stevens with :48 seconds remaining in the second period, giving the Thunder the lead back, 3-2.

With 1:33 left on the clock in the third period, Quentin Shore received a cross-crease pass from Matt Leitner, and with an open net in front of him, scored the game-tying-goal that would send the contest into overtime.

After a scoreless overtime frame, the game went to a shootout. The Thunder were able to score twice in four rounds, with the Monarchs lone conversion coming on a Ciampini tally, giving Adirondack the 4-3 victory.

The Monarchs and Thunder will square off again Saturday, Oct. 15 at SNHU Arena (6 p.m.), in game two of the Opening Weekend series between the North Division rivals.

Game notes
  • Daniel Ciampini scored the first goal of the season for the Monarchs
  • Justin Gutierrez and Quentin Shore netted their first goals of their careers in their first professional game
  • Matt Leitner recorded two assists

Oct. 15 Game Day Capsule

MONARCHS POINTS LEADERS                       

Daniel Ciampini: 2 points (1g, 1a)

Matt Leitner: 2 points (2a)

Multiple players tied with 1 point

MONARCHS GOALTENDING LEADERS

Colin Stevens: 0-0-0-1, 2.77 GAA, 0.909 save %

Jack Flinn: 0-0-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 0.00 save %

THUNDER POINTS LEADERS              

Greg Wolfe: 2 points (1g, 1a)

Multiple players tied with 1 point

THUNDER GOALTENDING LEADERS

Mason McDonald: 1-0-0-0, 2.77 GAA, 0.889 save %

Brody Hoffman: 0-0-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 0.000 save %

HEAD-TO-HEAD – The Monarchs and Thunder opened the 2016-17 season last night, with the Thunder taking a 4-3 SO win at SNHU Arena.

WHERE WE STAND – Being the only game played in the North Division last night, the Monarchs sit in second place with one point, behind Adirondack who has two points. The rest of the North Division will get game action tonight, as Elmira visits Reading and Wheeling hosts Brampton.

NAIL BITERS Last night’s one-goal margin is nothing new between the North Division rivals, as the teams have played each other tightly going back to last season. In fact, in the last13 meetings between the two clubs including playoffs, 10 of those games have been decided by one goal.

BREAKING THE ICE – Justin Gutierrez (1g), Quentin Shore (1g) and Eddie Wittchow (1a) all scored their first professional points in their first professional game. The rookie skaters were the only Monarchs on the ice making their professional debuts in the game.

PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF – Monarchs second-year forward, Matt Leitner, recorded two assists in the game last night. Leitner is coming off a rookie campaign that saw him post 49 points in 51 games (12g, 37 a). Leitner’s 37 helpers were good for a third-place tie amongst rookies last season, only six behind Matt Willows of Florida, despite playing 20 fewer games than the Everblades’ first-year forward.


⇒Click here for tickets for a great night out on the town in Monarchs Country.


 

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!