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For the third time this year, the Iowa Chops beat the Lake Erie Monsters by one goal. And for the third time this year, the game-winning goal came from the stick of Chops forward Drew Miller. In their second game against the Chops in as many days, the Monsters fell 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena.

Lake Erie started the scoring just 4:18 into the game, registering the game’s first tally on a 5-on-3 power play. Camped out on the left side of the net, forward Tom Fritsche tapped in a cross-crease pass from T.J. Galiardi past Chops goalie David LeNeveu, putting the Monsters up by a goal. Mike Vernace was credited with the second assist on the goal.

The Monsters would score less than two minutes later on a gaffe by LeNeveu. Attempting to clear the puck from behind his net, the Chops goalie put the puck right on the stick of Phil Dupuis. The center turned the puck over from his forehand to the backhand and tucked it into the partially empty net. The first period ended with the Monsters up, 2-0.

Lake Erie’s lead wouldn’t last too long into the second frame as Eric Boguniecki cut the Monsters lead in half just 1:43 into the second period. Standing in front of the net, Boguniecki deflected Josh Green’s wrist shot past Monsters goalie Tyler Weiman.

At about the halfway mark of the second, the Chops would tie it up on T.J. Trevelyan’s seventh goal of the season. Taking a pass from Drew Miller, Trevelyan fanned on the shot that fluttered past Weiman, into the net. The teams headed into the third period knotted up on the scoreboard at two and in the shot category, with both teams registering 17 at the end of period number two.

The game remained tied until 12:57 into the third, when Miller scored what would be the eventual game-winner, putting the Chops ahead, 3-2. Skating off the half wall toward the Monsters net, Miller fired a wrist shot just inside the post, past the blocker of Weiman.

The Monsters went down with the never-say-die attitude, pulling Weiman with 46 seconds left in the game. With nine seconds on the clock, Dupuis had the puck in tight against LeNeveu, only to be turned away by the Chops goalie. The Chops would kill the final eight seconds on the clock, and the Monsters would drop back-to-back games against the Chops at The Q over the weekend.

“This loss hurts,” said head coach Joe Sacco. “We had a 2-0 lead against a team playing their third game in three nights. I thought we were the fresher team, but it was mistakes that you make as young players that you have to learn from.”

“We really feel we should’ve won this one with the lead we had” said left wing Tom Fritsche. “We know we’re a good team with great players. It’s just about putting it together and everyone playing together on the same night.”

The Monsters return to The Q on Wednesday night to host the Peoria Rivermen at 7:00 p.m.

Sights and Sounds

Tom Fritsche Interview   Coach Joe Sacco Interview

Quote, Unquote

"It’s something that we talk about every game: we want our guys to finish checks whenever possible. Usually when you finish checks it leads to scoring chances and you end up on the right side of the puck more often than not.” - Head Coach Joe Sacco