The 2017-’18 ECHL Season is now just a little over a week old, even if the weather isn’t quite hockey-level yet.
It’s Oct. 27, 2017. Here’s your Manchester Monarchs Week in Review.
Game Recaps
The Monarchs have had three opponents in their first five games, neatly dividing their results so far. Both wins came against the still winless Brampton Beast, first on Sunday, then on Tuesday. Both losses in regulation came against the Worcester Railers on Saturday and the Friday before that. And there was a shoot-out loss on the road to the Adirondack Thunder a Friday after their opening night loss to Worcester.
In each game, they’re outshooting their opponents, but are struggling on the power play. After those five games, they’re only 3-for-29 while holding an edge in men on the ice, under half the rate they posted over the 2016-’17 regular season.
The week also saw the addition of Matt Marcinew and Matt Schmalz, who were assigned to the team from the Ontario Reign (AHL).
Marcinew, 24, comes to the Monarchs after playing one game for the Reign this season. Marcinew spent the 2016-17 season with the University of Denver where he scored 22 points on 10 goals and 12 assists in 44 games, and won the NCAA National Championship.
Schmalz, 21, comes to Manchester after playing 62 games with the Owen Sound Attack (OHL) during the 2016-17 season. With the Sound Attack, Schmalz scored 31 points on 16 goals and 15 assists. The right-shot also skated in 17 playoff games and scored seven points on three goals and four assists.
Three Stars
Third Star: Tony Cameranesi – The Minnesota native came to Manchester in August and leads the Monarchs with six points so far (2 G, 4 A), with a multi-point game against Adirondack.
Second Star: Charles Williams – Williams is currently third in Goals Against Average among qualified ECHL rookie goalies (2.29), far outdoing two other goaltenders currently with 183 minutes on the ice (Wheeling’s Colin Stevens – 3.27 and Brampton’s Michael McNiven – 4.59)
Williams notched both wins against Brampton and kept the Monarchs in the game in the tough home opener against Worcester.
First Star: Joel Lowry – Lowry scored eight points in the AHL last year, he’s already up to five (3 G, 2 A), with points in all of the first five games, excluding the ones against Worcester.
Coming Up
This weekend, the Monarchs host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (1-2-1-0), the New York Rangers ECHL affiliate, with games on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.). After that, the Monarchs head to Norfolk for a three game set against the Admirals.