Manchester earns 50th win of the season
MANCHESTER, NH – The Monarchs extended their winning streak to five straight games in a 4-2 win Saturday night over the Worcester Sharks in the regular-season home finale at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
Manchester (50-16-6-3) finished the season with a 7-3-0-1 record against Worcester (41-28-4-2). The Monarchs have earned at least one point in each of their last nine contests dating back to Mar. 29.
Manchester opened the scoring 32 seconds into the game on a Michael Mersch deflection past Troy Grosenick. The goal was Mersch’s 22nd of the season, tying him with AHL MVP Brian O’Neill for most on the team.
Nikolay Goldobin’s backhand shot at 5:39 beat J.F. Berube to put Worcester on the board, tying the game at one goal apiece.
Manchester regained the lead with a goal from Scott Sabourin, his fifth of the season, at the 12:06 mark of the first period.
The Sharks tied the game once again on a wrist shot from Goldobin, his second of the game and third of the season at 15:23 of the first period.
Jordan Weal netted his 20th goal of the season at 19:38 of the first period. The Monarchs took the 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, and with Grosenick pulled for an extra skater, Josh Gratton made it 4-2 at the 18:48 mark of the third. The goal was Gratton’s sixth of the season.
The Monarchs’ 2014-15 regular season will conclude with an afternoon game against the Bruins at the Dunkin Donuts Center April 19 at 3 p.m.
Notes:
- Jordan Weal (goal) joined Brian O’Neill, Michael Mersch, and Nick Shore as 20-goal scorers for Manchester this season. It marks the club’s most 20-goal scorers in one season since they also had four in 2010-11.
- Michael Mersch (goal) has at least one point in 10 of his last 11 games beginning on Mar. 27. He has 10 goals and five assists in that span.
- Manchester concluded their regular season home schedule with 30 victories, the most ever by a Monarchs team.
- Tonight was Manchester’s 50th win of the season, the third time the team has ever eclipsed 50 wins (51 in 2006-07, 51 in 2004-05). It is the first time the Monarchs surpassed 50 wins since the AHL switched from an 80-game schedule to 76 games at the start of the 2011-12 season.
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