For two teams meeting for the first time ever, the Lake Erie Monsters and Iowa Chops were about as evenly matched as possible on Friday night in Des Moines.  The Chops just edged out the visiting Monsters, 4-3. 

The teams kept pace with each other through the game, each scoring one goal apiece in each period, until Iowa pulled ahead with its second goal of the third period with just four minutes remaining. Just like the score would indicate, the Chops just barely outdid the Monsters on offense, outshooting Lake Erie, 26-25, in the game.

The home team wasted little time getting on the board, as Bobby Ryan scored on a power play at the 3:10 mark of the first period.  He was assisted by Josh Green and Joakim Lindstrom.

Lake Erie's Tom Fritsche evened the score with his first goal of the season at 12:39, assisted by T.J. Hensick and Brian Willsie.  The score would remain knotted at 1-1 at the end of the first period.

Willsie took the game - and the lead - into his own hands later in the second.  His power play goal at the 8:23 mark was his sixth in as many games.  He has scored in every game the Monsters have played so far this year, which is a franchise best.  Hensick and Darcy Campbell were credited with the assists.  Hensick's pair of helpers gives him seven on the year, best on the team.  HIs nine points also leads the Monsters in the young season. Willsie is just behind him with eight points of his own.

Lake Erie barely had time to catch their breath before the Chops evened the score behind Eric Boguniecki's goal less than one minute later. He was assisted by Drew Miller and Petteri Wirtanen on the play.

Once again the stanza would end in a dead heat with the score tied at two goals apiece.

Half the third period would go by without the score changing. Iowa would then strike first, as Andrew Ebbett gave the Chops a 3-2 lead at 10:11.  He was helped by T.J. Trevelyan and Miller.  The Monsters would once again tie the score right away behind Per Ledin's first goal of the year at the 11:21 mark, assisted by Rob Drummond and Kyle Cumiskey.  It was Drummond's first point of the season.

The score remained tied for a few more minutes before Miller notched his third point of the night with his go-ahead goal at 15:57 on the power play, giving the Chops the 4-3 win.  Ebbett and Brett Festerling were given the assists.

Jason Bacashihua rejected 22 of 26 shots in goal for Lake Erie.  His Iowa counterpart, David LeNeveu, turned away 22 of 25 on the night.

The Monsters, now 3-2-0-1, immediately travel to Peoria for a back-to-back with the Rivermen over the weekend.