GRIFFINS FALL IN SHOOTOUT TO MONSTERS

CLEVELAND – Jared Coreau stopped 32 of 34 shots, but the Grand Rapids Griffins fell in a shootout to the Lake Erie Monsters 3-2 on Friday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Nick Jensen and Anthony Mantha scored to help the Griffins (2-7-0-1) overcome a two-goal deficit and send the game into overtime. However, Kerby Rychel scored the lone goal in the shootout, extending the Griffins’ road winless streak to four.

Dillon Heatherington opened the scoring for Lake Erie (7-3-0-2) with 1:56 remaining in the opening period. Brian Lashoff’s clearing attempt ended up on the stick of Heatherington, whose wrist shot from the left point beat a screened Coreau on his glove side.

The Monsters wasted no time adding to their lead in the second period. Josh Anderson gained the zone and drove the net to the right of Coreau, forcing a pad save. Alex Broadhurst, who was following the play, put home the rebound to give Lake Erie a 2-0 lead 1:52 into the middle frame.

Jensen put the Griffins on the scoresheet just over three minutes later. After Mark Zengerle fed him at the right point. Jensen then worked his way down below the right circle, lifting a backhand shot past the blocker of Anton Forsberg.

The Griffins outshot Lake Erie 11-7 in the second and carried the momentum into the third. Grand Rapids tied the score at the 3:19 mark after Mantha deflected Ryan Sproul’s shot from the right point past Forsberg’s glove.

Lake Erie had a golden opportunity to win in regulation after Nathan Paetsch was called for delay of game with 2:44 remaining. Coreau needed to use all of his 6-foot-6 frame to make two big pad saves to help kill the penalty and send the Griffins to their first 3-on-3 overtime of the season.

Mantha, Jensen, and Andy Miele started the overtime for the Griffins. Both teams had one shot on goal during the extra session, with the Griffins' best chance coming when Tyler Bertuzzi’s shot from below the right circle went off Forsberg’s arm.

Martin Frk, Miele, and Tomas Nosek were unable to score in the shootout. The Monsters, entering their fourth shootout of the season, sent out Sonny Milano, T.J. Tynan, and Rychel. Milano and Tynan failed to score, but Rychel moved from backhand to forehand to go around Coreau's right pad and seal the win for Lake Erie.

Forsberg stopped 21 of 23 shots in a winning effort. Both sides went 0-for-2 on the power play.

The Griffins conclude the weekend series against Lake Erie with a rematch on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena. Game time is 7 p.m.

Three Stars: 1. LE Rychel (assist) 2. LE Heatherington (goal) 3. LE Broadhurst (goal)

Notes: Sproul played his 150^th career regular season game as a Griffin tonight, making him the 51st player to accomplish this milestone…Lake Erie head coach Jared Bednar played one season for the Griffins, registering 21 points and 220 penalty minutes in 74 games during the 1998-99 IHL campaign.

CLEVELAND – Jared Coreau stopped 32 of 34 shots, but the Grand Rapids Griffins fell in a shootout to the Lake Erie Monsters 3-2 on Friday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Nick Jensen and Anthony Mantha scored to help the Griffins (2-7-0-1) overcome a two-goal deficit and send the game into overtime. However, Kerby Rychel scored the lone goal in the shootout, extending the Griffins’ road winless streak to four.

Dillon Heatherington opened the scoring for Lake Erie (7-3-0-2) with 1:56 remaining in the opening period. Brian Lashoff’s clearing attempt ended up on the stick of Heatherington, whose wrist shot from the left point beat a screened Coreau on his glove side.

The Monsters wasted no time adding to their lead in the second period. Josh Anderson gained the zone and drove the net to the right of Coreau, forcing a pad save. Alex Broadhurst, who was following the play, put home the rebound to give Lake Erie a 2-0 lead 1:52 into the middle frame.

Jensen put the Griffins on the scoresheet just over three minutes later. After Mark Zengerle fed him at the right point. Jensen then worked his way down below the right circle, lifting a backhand shot past the blocker of Anton Forsberg.

The Griffins outshot Lake Erie 11-7 in the second and carried the momentum into the third. Grand Rapids tied the score at the 3:19 mark when Mantha deflected Ryan Sproul’s shot from the right point past Forsberg’s glove.

Lake Erie had a golden opportunity to win in regulation after Nathan Paetsch was called for delay of game with 2:44 remaining. Coreau needed to use all of his 6-foot-6 frame to make two big pad saves to help kill the penalty and send the Griffins to their first 3-on-3 overtime of the season.

Mantha, Jensen, and Andy Miele started the overtime for the Griffins. Both teams had one shot on goal during the extra session, with the Griffins' best chance coming when Tyler Bertuzzi’s shot from below the right circle went off Forsberg’s arm.

Martin Frk, Miele, and Tomas Nosek were unable to score in the shootout. The Monsters, entering their fourth shootout of the season, sent out Sonny Milano, T.J. Tynan, and Rychel. Milano and Tynan failed to score, but Rychel moved from backhand to forehand to get around Coreau's right pad and seal the win for Lake Erie.

Forsberg stopped 21 of 23 shots in a winning effort. Both sides went 0-for-2 on the power play.

The Griffins conclude the weekend series against Lake Erie with a rematch on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena. Game time is 7 p.m.

Three Stars: 1. LE Rychel (assist) 2. LE Heatherington (goal) 3. LE Broadhurst (goal)

Notes: Sproul played his 150^th career regular season game as a Griffin tonight, making him the 51st player to accomplish this milestone…Lake Erie head coach Jared Bednar played one season for the Griffins, registering 21 points and 220 penalty minutes in 74 games during the 1998-99 IHL campaign.