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Worcester hits rock bottom in loss to Manchester

0-for-9.

That is what the Worcester Sharks power play did Saturday night at the DCU Center in their 2-1 loss to the Manchester Monarchs (AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings).

Even worse was the fact the Sharks had nearly eight minutes of power play time (7:56 to be exact) in the third period, including a four minute stretch for a double minor penalty, but didn’t register their only shot on goal of the period until the final minute of the game.

“There were times again when I didn’t think our compete level was all that good,” said Sharks head coach Roy Sommer in a post game interview with Bill Ballou of Telegram.com.

The Sharks’ lone highlight came 62-seconds into the game when forward Freddie Hamilton corralled a drop pass on top of the left faceoff circle from linemate Adam Burish and beat Monarchs goaltender Jean-Francois Berube with a quick snap shot from inside the circle for his sixth goal of the season. Sharks defenseman Nick Jones, who was recalled from the Indy Fuel of the ECHL shortly after midnight Saturday morning, had the secondary assist on the goal, which was Hamilton’s first since Nov. 2.

The Monarchs tied the game at 19:10 when forward David Van der Gulik found a bouncing puck and shuffled a backhanded shot from deep inside the left faceoff circle past Sharks goaltender Troy Grosenick for a power play goal, his fifth goal of the season.

Monarchs defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk scored what held up as the game-winning-goal at 7:51 of the third period just 10-seconds after his double minor penalty expired. With the puck inside the Monarchs zone, Sharks defenseman Dylan DeMelo couldn’t hold the puck in at the right point and Bodnarchuk tracked down the puck along the left side of the Sharks zone, skated down across the left faceoff circle and slid a backhanded shot from on top of the crease past Grosenick for his first goal of the season.

NOTES… Shots on goal were 29-15 in favor of the Monarchs… The Sharks went 0-for-9 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill… Grosenick made 27 saves and is now 7-4-1 with a 2.87 goals-against-average and .903 save percentage… Jones picked up his first career AHL point with the assist on Hamilton’s goal… Sharks defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser engaged in his first professional fight at 12:12 of the third period against Monarchs forward Andy Andreoff… This was the third time in nine years the Sharks have gone 0-for-9 on the power play in a game (via Ballou)… The Sharks wore specialty Worcester IceCats jerseys… This was the third of 12 meetings between the Sharks and Monarchs this season… The Sharks are 0-3-0 against the Monarchs, 6-5-2 at the DCU Center and 10-12-2 with 22 points overall… The Sharks wrap up their three-in-three weekend Sunday afternoon as they host the Portland Pirates at 3pm/et.

THREE STARS
1. Andrew Bodnarchuk – Monarchs (1-0-1, GWG)
2. David Van der Gulik – Monarchs (1-0-1)
3. Freddie Hamilton – Sharks (1-0-1)

LINES
Tarasov / Oleksuk / Hayes
Schwartz / Hamilton / Burish
Haley (A) / Trupp / Carpenter
Bonneau / Langlois / Lerg (C)

DEFENSE
Abeltshauser / DeMelo
Young / Fedun
Taormina (A) / Jones

GOALIES
Grosenick
Anderson

SCRATCHES
Blazek
Doherty (inj)
Emanuelsson (inj)

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