MANCHESTER, NH – Patrice Cormier scored the overtime game-winning goal as the Monarchs fell to the IceCaps in the opener of back-to-back games against them, 4-3.

“We fell behind by two and we came back…I liked our resilience,” head coach Mike Stothers said. “Certainly, we had the puck a lot in overtime. Sometimes that’s all it takes is one chance.”

Manchester (31-12-5-2) went into overtime for the 12th time, the second time they have faced the IceCaps (24-23-5-2) in overtime this season. It was Manchester’s first OT loss at home this season. 

Mike Richards (2 assists) recorded his fourth multi-point performance in eight games with Manchester this year.

The IceCaps opened up the scoring with a power-play goal from Austen Brassard just 4:30 into the first period. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Kevin Raine set up the man advantage.

Eric O’Dell extended the IceCaps lead at 7:42 when he put a rebound from J.F. Berube in the back of the net.

The Monarchs would cut the IceCaps lead in half at 16:43 of the first period when Andrew Bodnarchuk netted his fourth goal of the season. Zach O’Brien took a trickling puck across the front of the net before Bodnarchuk came crashing down from the blue line to backhand it in.

Manchester tied the game at 2-2 with a power play goal from Michael Mersch, his 11th of the year, at 14:56 of the second period. The Monarchs were on a two-man advantage when Mersch tipped in a one-time shot from Colin Miller.

Julien Brouillette put the IceCaps ahead 3-2 with a power play go at 14:42 in the third. Brouillette collected a pass in the high slot and wristed it past Berube.

Minutes after St. John’s took the lead, Brian O’Neill scored his team-high 16th goal of the season, tying the game at three. O’Neill netted the puck sitting in the crease thrown on net by David Van der Gulik.

During three-on-three play in OT, Cormier beat Berube with the game-winner at 5:02.

The Monarchs will play host to St. John’s again tomorrow night (7 p.m.) and play Worcester at home with a 3 p.m. start on Sunday.

Notes:

• Bodnarchuk’s has scored a goal in back-to-back games, marking the first time he scored in consecutive games since Oct. 19-20, 2013. 
• Sixteen different players have scored a power play goal this year for the Monarchs, while they have totaled 43 goals on the man advantage.
• It was Manchester’s first overtime loss at home this season, and first OT loss overall since Jan. 23 at Providence. They have four wins this year in nine OT games.