Friday, November 2, 2007

Devils Overpower Monarchs, 3-2
Stephen Gionta engineers victory with three-point night

LOWELL, Mass. – Stephen Gionta scored twice in the third period and Frank Doyle made 38 saves to lead the Lowell Devils (5-4-0-0) to a 3-2 victory over the Manchester Monarchs (3-4-1-1) Friday night at Tsongas Arena.

Just as they did one week ago in Manchester, the Devils got on the board first. Former Monarch Noah Clarke scored his first goal of the season against his old club and third overall, staking the Devils to the 1-0 lead. Stephen Gionta and Grant Marshall assisted on the goal, which came on the power play. Manchester led 13-12 in shots after twenty minutes.

The second frame was full of offense, with the teams combining for 32 shots on net. Manchester tied the score on a power play goal by rookie Teddy Purcell, who fired a wrist shot from the point that found its way past Doyle for his 3rd goal of the season. Later in the period, the Monarchs took the lead on Purcell’s second of the night. The Devils killed off a 1:15 long Manchester 5-on-3 advantage, to remain down by only one goal after two periods.

The equalizer came early in the third stanza. Ivan Khomutov chased down a possible icing and tapped a pass to Stephen Gionta, who floated a back-handed wrist shot over Monarchs G Dan Cloutier’s glove, tying the score. Devils D Zach Tarkir assisted on the goal – his first point of the season. Just under seven minutes later, Gionta struck again, this time slamming home a rebound off a Petr Vrana shot. Frank Doyle had another strong night against the Monarchs, stopping 38 shots to earn the victory.

The Devils host the Philadelphia Phantoms at 4:05 p.m on Sunday, November 4.  After the game there will be a public skate on the Tsongas Arena ice, free for all in attendance, courtesy of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union.  Fans may bring their own skates to the game or borrow a pair from the arena’s limited selection. 

Due to a scheduling conflict, tomorow's Devils game vs. Albany will not be broadcast on WCAP 980 radio. Fans interested in listening to the game online can do so at the following address:  mms://208.67.186.169/lowell.
 
For more information or to reserve your tickets, contact the Devils at (978) 458-PUCK (7825) or log on to www.lowelldevilshockey.com.