Comeback Chops all alone in 1st after 3-2 win in Lake Erie Sunday

Thanks to three straight goals to end the game, the Iowa Chops won their third game in as many nights with a come-from-behind 3-2 win against the Lake Erie Monsters on Sunday at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The wear of three road games in three nights was evident at the start of the game on Sunday as the Chops took three straight penalties, which led to a 5 on 3 power play goal by Tom Fritsche of the Monsters who tapped home a backdoor pass past a helpless David LeNeveu, who was making his second straight start between the pipes. The Monsters made it 2-0 less than two minutes later as Phil Dupuis incepted a pass from behind the Chops net by LeNeveu and beat him back to the front for the unassisted goal. The Chops could not find the net late in the period despite two power plays. The Chops got it rolling in the 2nd period less than two minutes in as Josh Green's shot from the high slot as a Chops power play ended, glanced off of Eric Boguniecki and in behind Tyler Weiman for the first Chops goal. Eric Regan also assisted on the first Chops goal. 10 minutes later the Chops tied the game thanks to some more passing magic by linemates Drew Miller and Andrew Ebbett who connected on a give-and-go to TJ Trevelyan in front who squeezed a shot through Weiman to tie the game at 2-2. The 3rd period was a back and forth affair, but the Chops took their first lead of the night thanks to some hard forechecking. Drew Miller kept the puck in the zone after a clearing attempt by the Monsters and was able to get it down low to Andrew Ebbett who returned it to Miller in the slot. Miller then wristed a shot high over the blocker of Weiman for the eventual game-winner and Miller's second game-winner in as many night's. The rest of the game was highlighted by Chops goaltender David LeNeveu, who made several spectacular saves to keep the Monster scoreless the remainder of the game. The win moved the Chops all alone into 1st place in the West Division and makes it now eight games in a row without a regulation loss. The Chops are currently 6-0-1 on their season-long seven game road trip.

And For Another Point of View
Tim Warsinskey/Plain Dealer Reporter

Frustration is ebbing its way into the Lake Erie Monsters' locker room.

"This loss hurts," Coach Joe Sacco said losing to Iowa, 3-2, Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena. "We had a 2-0 lead against a team playing their third [game] in three nights, and I thought we were the fresher team.

"It's just a frustrating loss. It's disappointing."

Lake Erie has one win, an overtime loss and a shootout loss in its last nine games, eight of which were played at home.

"We really feel like we should have won that one with the lead we had. We just kind of gave it to them," Parma native Tom Fritsche said. "Yeah, that hurts. A lot of people are down."

For the second time in two days, Iowa leading goal scorer Drew Miller netted the game-winner off a Lake Erie turnover in the defensive zone. His goal in overtime Saturday night beat goalie Tyler Weiman and the Monsters, 2-1.

Sunday, sloppy puck handling was a neatly wrapped gift for Miller. Lake Erie forward Nathan Smith lost control of a bad outlet pass off the right boards. Miller grabbed the puck and snapped a laser from the circle past Weiman, breaking a 2-2 tie with 7:03 remaining in the third period.

"We've got to know who's on the ice," Fritsche said. "He gets a chance like that, he's going to score."

Lake Erie capitalized on Iowa penalties in the first period. The Chops gave Lake Erie a two-man advantage early and Fritsche, camped out on the left post, had an easy tap-in of T.J. Galiardi's pass across the crease at 4:18.

"It's nice to score at home, but you kind of forget about it when you don't win," Fritsche said of his third goal this season.

Nearly two minutes later, Iowa goalie David LeNeveu's blunder led to another goal by hustling forward Phil Dupuis. He stole LeNeveu's pass behind the net, tapped it into the crease, then dove and tucked the puck inside the right post before LeNeveu could scramble into position.

Penalties sapped the Monsters' momentum in the second period and Iowa scored twice to tie it. Both goals were even-strength, but immediately followed power plays and came while the Monsters' penalty killers still were on the ice.

NHL veteran Eric Boguniecki screened Weiman and redirected a high wrister by Josh Green at 1:43. T.J. Trevelyan lifted a one-timer over Weiman's shoulder at 10:29.

Lake Erie outshot Iowa, 29-25. Weiman (5-5-1-2) had 22 saves and stopped 58 of 63 shots on the weekend.