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In their second game in as many days against the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Lake Erie Monsters came up just short, dropping the game by a 4-3 final in front of more then 6,200 at Quicken Loans Arena Saturday night. In the first game of their home-and-home series, Lake Erie fell, 3-0, to Hamilton Friday night.

Saturday’s first goal, scored by Brock Trotter at 14:46 of the first, was a bit of a fluke. When the Monsters attempted to clear the zone, instead of the puck going hard around the glass and out of the zone, it hit a partition, bounced right in front of the net to the stick of Trotter, who put it in past Monsters goalie Jason Bacashihua. Ben Maxwell was credited with the goal’s lone assist.

The Bulldogs would strike again less than two minutes later on Mike Glumac’s 16th goal of the season. Standing in front of the net to the left of Bacashihua, Glumac had a one-timer from the stick of Mathieu Carle graze his leg and find the back of the net, putting the Bulldogs up 2-0.

Lake Erie would respond just a minute later, when T.J. Galiardi registered his third goal of the season, a shorthanded score at the 17:35 mark of the first. Coming down the ice on a 3-on-2 rush, Galiardi spotted defenseman Nigel Williams, who was trailing the play. When Williams’ initial shot was stopped by Hamilton goalie Loic Lacasse, Galiardi cut right to the net, slamming home the rebound through the legs of the Bulldogs goalie. The goal was Lake Erie’s eighth shorthanded marker of the season and was also assisted by Chris Durno.

Durno would get back on the score sheet, this time with a goal of his own at the 16:20 mark of the second period with his team-leading 10th goal of the season. Holding the puck at the top of the point on the power play, Durno wired a slapshot through a number of bodies into the front, putting his fifth power play goal behind Lacasse. Galiardi and Tom Fritsche were credited with the assists on the goal.

Fritsche, like Durno, would follow up an assist with a goal of his own, adding his seventh goal of the season just more than two minutes after Durno’s goal, to put the Monsters ahead temporarily, 3-2. With the puck on its way out of the zone, defenseman Derek Peltier rushed ahead to keep it from going out of the zone, chipping it down along the boards to center Bryan Marshall. On his backhand, Marshall threw the puck out in front of the net to Fritsche, who one-timed it past Lacasse.

Lake Erie’s lead would only last through the first half of the third frame, as Yanick Lehoux netted his 10th goal to even the game at the 9:22 mark of regulation’s final frame. Standing to the left of Bacashihua, Lehoux received a cross-crease pass that he chipped just over the stacked pads and outstretched glove of Bacashihua. The goal was assisted by Carle and Trotter.

Hamilton’s fourth, and the game’s final, goal came from the stick of Ryan White. Standing idle in the high slot, White one-timed a feed that was partly blocked by Bacashihua, but just dribbled through the goalie’s pads, putting Hamilton ahead for good. Greg Stewart and Ryan Russell assisted on the goal.

“I think we did a lot of positive things in this game tonight, we just didn’t get the result we wanted,” said Lake Erie head coach Joe Sacco. “I do not think there is any doubt that this one got away. It hurts more than some others, but overall there are some things to take out of this that I think will make us a better team.” The Monsters complete a stretch of three games in three nights on Sunday, when the Philadelphia Phantoms make their only appearance of the season at The Q at 5:00 p.m.

Sights and Sounds

Tom Fritsche Interview   Coach Joe Sacco Interview

Quote, Unquote

"I have always said that when you finish checks you usually end up on the right side of the puck, which means you end up getting more scoring chances. There is a direct correlation between finishing checks when it is called for and getting scoring opportunities. I think we saw that tonight. I think a lot of our guys aren’t use to playing that way but it has to become second nature to them.” - Head Coach Joe Sacco