Monarchs take point in final game of road trip
READING, PA – Jack Flinn made 42 stops in net, but the Manchester Monarchs fell in overtime, 2-1, to the Reading Royals on Saturday night at Santander Arena.
The Monarchs (31-16-7-4) fell for only the second time all season to the Royals (33-21-1-2), with the final head-to-head match-up remaining this season to come Mar. 22 in Reading.
After a scoreless first period, Ashton Rome broke the ice when he scored his 9th goal of the year at 2:48 of the second frame. Rome created a turnover in the neutral-zone, carried the puck into the offensive-zone and fired a wrister from the left dot past the blocker of Royals goaltender, Mark Dekanich, to put the Monarchs up, 1-0.
The Royals tied the game when Mike Pereira scored his 15th goal of the season at 11:48 of the middle frame. A turnover in the Monarchs zone gave Pereira the puck on the left dot, where he took one stride toward the net and sent a wrister through the blocker side of Monarchs goaltender, Jack Flinn, to even the score at 1-1.
The game would go to overtime tied at 1-1, but Ryan Penny netted the game-winning-goal at 2:24 in overtime on his 21st goal of the season. After heavy Monarchs pressure in the Reading zone, the Royals went on a 2-on-1 and Penny sent a wrister past the blocker of Flinn from the right dot to seal the extra point for Reading.
The Monarchs return home to SNHU Arena on Friday, Mar. 10 (7 p.m.), when they host their rivals, the Adirondack Thunder, in a crucial North Division match-up. Tickets for the remainder of the season are available, HERE.
Notes
- Jack Flinn made his second-consecutive start in net
- Monarchs we outshot, 44-31
- Manchester was 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, their six-kill game since Jan. 4
- Manchester was assessed two bench minors for too many men on the ice
