April 10, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Lake Erie Monsters Pascal Pelletier scored 24 seconds into overtime to deliver the Lake Erie Monsters (29-32-1-9) a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utica Comets (32-30-5-4) Thursday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Brett Clark and Michael Schumacher scored for the Monsters. At the end of Thursday's American Hockey League action, the Monsters are nine points behind the Charlotte Checkers, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Monsters have five games remaining, while Charlotte has three to play.

After a scoreless first period, Clark scored the game's first goal and gave the Monsters a 1-0 lead at 4:03 of the second period. From in front of the net, Mark Olver handed a pass to Clark, cutting in from the right side, and Clark slipped a puck past Utica's Joacim Eriksson for his sixth goal of the season. J.T. Wyman also assisted on the goal. Just over 10 minutes later, Utica tied the game when Cal O'Reilly centered a puck to Brandon DeFazio at the top of the goal crease, and he sent the puck by Monsters goalie Sami Aittokallio to even the score.

The game remained 1-1 into the third period before Jeremy Welsh broke the tie for Utica at the 13:38 mark. Welsh skated through the right circle and into the slot before wristing a puck top-shelf to give the Comets their first lead of the game. Just 2:04 later, Colin Smith centered a pass to Schumacher on a rush up the ice, and Schumacher tied the game for the Monsters with a power play goal. The goal was the 11th of the season for Schumacher, and was also assisted by Karl Stollery.

Utica began the overtime period on a two-minute power play, and the Comets secured the two points when Pelletier sent a high shots from the right circle to beat Aittokallio at 0:24 of the extra frame.

Aittokallio is 13-15-3 in net for the Monsters after stopping 29 of 32 shots. Eriksson is 23-22-2 after the win; he stopped 19 of 21 Monsters shots.

The Monsters and Comets meet again Friday at 7:30 PM at Quicken Loans Arena.

NOTES: The Monsters are 3-3-0-1 against Utica this season, and meet the Comets for the eighth and final time this season Friday at 7:30 PM... The last six games between the Monsters and Comets have been decided by 3-2 final scores... The Monsters are 18-12-1-3 on home ice this season... The Monsters are 15-11-1-6 against the North Division this season... The Monsters are 1-3-1-0 in April... Schumacher has six goals in his last 11 games... The Monsters were 1-5 on the power play, while Utica was 1-3.

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Monsters Fall to Comets in OT, 3-2