Fresno Monsters @ Valencia Flyers
Valencia 3, Fresno 2 (OT) – Danylo Moroz scored at 3:23 of overtime to give the Valencia Flyers a 3-2 win, snapping a 12-game winning streak for the Fresno Monsters.
In three-on-three overtime, Valencia’s Dominik Knap controlled the puck high in the Fresno zone, then played the puck down low behind the net to Moroz, who made a sharp cut-back to elude his check, moved to the front of the net, and lifted the puck up over the right shoulder of Fresno goaltender Tyler Mathews.
Fresno tied the game after falling behind 1-0 and 2-1, but could not come up with the tying goal a third time.
There was no scoring for the first 33:46 of the game as Mathews (32 saves) and Valencia’s Mack Willy (30) matched each other save for save. Fresno fired 19 shots on Willy in the third period, but he stopped 18, allowing the Flyers to get the game to overtime and, eventually, pick up the win.
Eimantas Noreika finally broke the ice, putting the Flyers up 1-0, only to see Fresno tie it before the second intermission on a goal by Logan Domagala. Chris Bisenieks restored the Flyers’ lead with 9:08 left in the third period, but Gustaf Wranghede tied it back up 2:19 later, sending the game to OT.
Fresno Monsters @ San Diego Sabers
San Diego 10, Fresno 6 – There were goals aplenty at Iceplex Escondido Friday night. The San Diego Sabers scored six times in the second period of a 10-6 win over the visiting Fresno Monsters.
Josef (3-3-6) and Karel (1-5-6) Kankovsky spearheaded the Monsters offense with Aleksis Leskinen (2-2-4) and Jakub Vesely (2-1-3) providing support.
Lohan Domagala scored twice for the Monsters, who suffered their second loss in a row after winning their previous 12 games.
Fresno led, 3-0, after scoring three times in the first 7:36 of the game, but San Diego stuck with starting goaltender Vinay Pathak, and he settled down and benefitted from the Sabers outbreak in the second period. Pathak finished with 36 saves in his first WSHL start.
Fresno Monsters @ Ontario Avalanche
Ontario 6, Fresno 3 – The Ontario Avalanche put the finishing touches on a disappointing weekend for the Fresno Monsters, handing them a 6-3 loss at Ontario Center Ice Arena. Daniel Baranek and Logan Corrigan each scored twice for the Avalanche and Connor Duffy made 27 of his 32 saves in the first two periods.
Ontario built a 3-0 lead in the first period, but Fresno cut the lead to one by the first intermission and then tied it on Stanislav Danaev’s goal at the 12:34 mark of the second period.
Ontario then went on another three-goal run to win 6-3 with Corrigan supplying two of them.
Tyler Mathews made 42 saves for the road-weary Monsters, who were playing their third game against three different division foes in as many days – all away from home. They return to Northern California with no points to show for their trek.