Everblades Hold Off Monarchs for 3-1 Victory

Photo Courtesy of Tessa Mortensen

ESTERO, FL – Anthony Peters turned aside 19 of 20 shots faced to help guide the Florida Everblades (22-8-1-2, 47pts) to a 3-1 victory over the Manchester Monarchs (21-9-1-2, 45 pts) Friday night at Germain Arena.

VIDEO:  Watch the Game Highlights 

Florida got off to a fast start creating several early scoring chances before scoring the first goal of the game at 6:34 of the first period.  Brendan O’Donnell tipped and redirected a Brant Harris shot from the right wing boards to give Florida the 1-0 edge.

The goal was O’Donnell’s team best 21st of the season.  With an assist on the play, Harris extends his point scoring streak to 11 games.

Ten minutes later, the ‘Blades extended their lead to 2-0 on a tally by Matt Berry.  Newcomer Clark Bishop carried the puck across the Manchester line and steered a pass to Akim Aliu at the left wing circle.  Aliu then slipped a pass across the slot to Berry who flexed the puck in behind Manchester goaltender Sam Brittain.

The Monarchs got on the board with a power play opportunity in the closing minutes of the opening frame.  Following a faceoff win, Manchester steered the puck to David Kolomatis at the point.  Kolomatis hurled a wrist shot that was skipped off the pad of Peters and then clipped across the goal line for the goal to put the score at 2-1 after 20 minutes of play.

Florida continued its assault in the second period creating numerous quality scoring chances.  However, no matter what the ‘Blades produced, Brittain was there to turn them all aside to keep the score at 2-1 heading into the third period.

In the final stanza, it was Peters who kept the Monarchs in check, stopping all ten shots thrown his way to keep the Monarchs off the board.

Florida’s Michael Kirkpatrick added an empty net tally with one second remaining to seal the 3-1 victory.

Peters earns the win allowing one goal on 20 shots, while Brittain take the loss despite a stellar effort allowing just two goals on 34 shots.

BOX SCORE

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at Germain Arena beginning at 7:00 p.m. Promotional details listed below.Upcoming Home Games & PromotionsSaturday,  January 7 vs. Manchester, 7:00 p.m. – The Fur Circus (pictured below) will perform during the intermissions and entertain fans throughout the night.  Pregame tailgate from 5-7 p.m. featuring live music and bounce houses.  A great night to bring the kids!

Wednesday, January 11  vs. South Carolina, 7:00 p.m. – $2 Wednesday!  Enjoy $2 draft beers, $2 wines and $2 hot dogs all night long!   Wednesday's are also College Night!  College students receive a $5 ticket w/ free parking when they present their college ID at Germain Arena.Ticket Information

Game Tickets: Everblades tickets may be purchased at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet, or online atwww.ticketmaster.com2016-17 Season Ticket Plans Now Available!  Full and flexible partial season ticket plans are currently available for the 2016-17 season. We offer several tickets packages designed to help fit your budget and schedule.

Special Offer!  Purchase any new ticket package for the 2016-17 season, and receive an Everblades jersey t-shirt and a $20 gift card from Ford's Garage!  Locations include Cape Coral, Downtown Fort Myers and Miromar Outlets in Estero.

Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price, and you may also receive an Everblades souvenir! Group tickets are available for all home games. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825.

This release courtesy of Fort Myers Technical College & Cape Coral Technical College

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###