Fresno stayed one point ahead of Long Beach at the top of the Western Division by winning a pair of games over the third-place San Diego Sabers.
Fresno 4, San Diego 1 – Stanislav Daneav scored twice in the first period for Fresno to spark the Monsters to a 4-1 win over the visiting San Diego Sabers at Gateway Ice Center Friday night.
Fresno goalie Tyler Mathews made 32 saves on 33 shots, turning aside 17 shots without allowing a goal in the second period alone.
Jakub Vesely put the Sabers in the board four minutes into the third period, but that would be all the scoring for San Diego.
Marshall McKillop entered the San Diego crease to start the second period, and kicked out 29 of 30 shots over the final two frames to stop the bleeding, but the Sabers were unable to mount a comeback.
Fresno 3, San Diego 2 – Danaev’s goal with 4:47 left in the third period gave the Monsters a 3-1 lead and it stood up as the game-winner after Jakub Vesely’s extra-attacker goal got the Sabers back within a goal in the final minute of Saturday’s contest.
The Sabers out-shot the Monsters, 21-7, in the first period, but Max Karlenzig (45 saves) allowed only Jordan Ribbink’s goal to het past him.
Jarred Hicks and Cole Beckman scored the other Fresno goals and McKillop made 33 saves for the Sabers but took the loss.