Monsters rookie Stefan Elliott’s first goal as a professional came at the most opportune time: in the second straight night of overtime hockey in Syracuse.

His goal at 3:24 of overtime on Saturday secured the first win of the season for the Lake Erie Monsters (1-5-1), a 3-2 victory over the Crunch (3-0-2). In back-to-back games in Syracuse, the Monsters earned three of a possible four points (4-3 OTL on Friday).

Playing in just his second game with the team, Adrian Foster put the Monsters on the board with less than five minutes remaining in the first period when he potted a backhander from in front of the Syracuse net. The play was made possible by a pass off the stick of David van der Gulik. Greg Mauldin also assisted on Foster’s second goal in as many nights, giving the Monsters a 1-0 lead.

The second period yielded a single goal just as the first did, which came in the final minute of the middle frame. Kyle Palmieri picked up a rebound and sent the puck behind Monsters goalie Trevor Cann for his eighth of the season, tying the game at 1-1.

Syracuse gained their first lead of the hockey game at 10:39 of the third period when Nick Schaus sent a point shot through traffic that beat Cann; the 2-1 lead was the only Crunch lead of the night. The goal was scored on the power play as Lake Erie’s Hugh Jessiman was serving a minor for boarding.

With 2:22 remaining, Lake Erie tied the game at 2-2 when Cameron Gaunce scored on a similar play to the Schaus goal. Gaunce fired a wrist shot through a screen in front of Crunch goalie Iiro Tarkki to tie the game. Elliott and Luke Walker assisted on Gaunce’s first of the season.

In overtime, Elliott scored on a shot from the high slot to notch Lake Erie’s first win of the season. Elliott’s first professional goal was assisted by Eric Hunter and Gaunce.

Trevor Cann improves to 1-4-1 in net for Lake Erie; he stopped 21 of 23 shots. Tarkki’s record moves to 0-0-2, as he turned away 31 of 34 shots.

The Monsters will finish their current five-game road trip and second straight weekend of three-in-threes in Toronto on Sunday; the puck drops at 5:00 p.m.

Head coach David Quinn spoke after the game: