The two teams faced off most recently over Halloween weekend for three games in Fresno where once again the Flyers gave Fresno a lot to handle. The Flyers in losing all three games had leads going into the third period in 2 of them and showed they could both skate with the Monsters and handle them physically. The series featured several altercations including 14 fights over the three games and one sequence when all 10 skaters on the ice were put in the box for roughing at the same time.

 

With new additions Casey Dennis and Tyler McGreevy the Flyers were set to once again test the Monsters. McGreevy a winger came to the Flyers from the Butte Roughriders in the NORPAC Tier III Junior A league and Dennis a defenseman played most recently for the Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL Tier II Junior A league. Both players promised to add depth and grit to the Flyers especially Dennis who is expected to help bolster the defensive unit that has struggled at times.

 

As expected the two teams came out hitting and the pace was fast for the first twenty minutes. Both teams had good scoring chances but neither team was able to capitalize and the first period ended in 0-0 tie. The period featured 8 shots for Fresno and 5 for Valencia with each team having three scoring chances. The Flyers had three power play opportunities to Fresno’s one and Fresno lead the way in the hit department 13-11.

 

The second period featured more of the same action. Hard hits, fast play and some great scoring opportunities were happening at both ends. The Flyers Steven Stoll had a great chance to give Valencia the critical first goal when he had one put on his tape from behind the net and shot the puck over the Fresno net. Once again Flyers goaltender Steven Estep made some acrobatic saves to keep Fresno off the board. Fresno was finally able to break through and score when James McGuirk picked up a loose puck in front of the Flyers net and hammered it home with 3:59 left in the period.

 

The period went on to finish with the Monsters up 1-0; the shots were even at ten apiece. Fresno had five scoring opportunities to Valencia’s three and both teams went 0 for 2 on the power play. The hits were 11-8 in favor of Valencia.

 

With the score only 1-0 at the start of the third this game was clearly in reach for the Flyers and once again the two teams came out flying and hitting. Neither team was willing to give an inch and the action continued at both ends. At the 13:24 mark of the period Fresno’s Ryan Coyle saw a wide open Ben Conroy in the slot from behind the net a put a perfect pass on his tape which Conroy proceed to put behind Estep and that quick Fresno had a 2-0 lead.

The ensuing face off saw the Flyers gain possession and quickly the puck was moved through the neutral zone and .to the Flyers Kyle Schwartz. Schwartz came down the left wing and saw Tyler McGreevy to whom he slid the puck and McGreevy put it behind Monsters goaltender Brett Hollerud and just 18 seconds after falling behind 2-0 the Flyers were back within one. Play resumed and each team was determined to get that all important next goal.

 

With 11:20 remaining in the period the Flyers Casey Dennis and Fresno’s Rob Kolander got tangled up as they were exiting the Flyers zone and Dennis was called for holding. In trying to draw Kolander into a retaliatory penalty to even things up Dennis found himself being assessed with an additional minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. With Cam Noland and Fresno’s Justin Wilmers both in the box serving minor penalties Fresno would go on a key 4 on 3 advantage. Fresno’s Rob Kolander quickly made the Flyers pay when he scored at the 10:27 mark to make the score 3-1. The Flyers were able to kill off the balance of Dennis’s penalties and were on their own power play when the Monsters Ryan Parkhouse threw one at the net that was redirected past Estep. The shorthanded goal with 7:03 remaining took away any momentum the Flyers had and gave the Monsters a big 4-1 lead. The Monsters scored their second power play goal of the night with 28 seconds remaining and the Flyers Artur Ketchedjian answered right back at the 25 second mark to close out the scoring and give Fresno the victory 5-2.

 

Final shots on goal in the third period were12 for the Flyers for a game total of 24 and 12 for the Monsters for a game total of 30. The Flyers went 0 for 8 on the power play and Fresno was 2 for 7. These two teams have one game remaining between them February 20^th at the Ice Station Valencia. The Flyers next game is this coming Sunday 11/28 at 1:45 PM vs. the Long Beach Bombers at Glacial Gardens Ice arena.