Lake Erie's late-season push for the playoffs continues to have hope, as the team started a quick weekend road trip with a divisional victory.  The Monsters convincingly defeated the Americans, 4-2, in Rochester on Friday night.  The game was the middle of three in the three nights, and first of two straight on the road.  Next the team will face the Crunch in Syracuse on Saturday, the team sitting immediately ahead of Lake Erie in the North Division standings.  Because Toronto also won on Friday, the Monsters are still nine points out of fourth place.

The Monsters did not get started on the right foot on Friday, allowing the home team to score just one minute into the game.  Keaton Ellerby lit the lamp at the 1:01 mark of the first period, assisted on the power play by Jordan Henry and Stefan Meyer. 

It would take until almost the end of the first, but Lake Erie would even it up with a power play marker of their own.  Codey Burki scored at 18:48 off assists from Per Ledin and David Marshall. 

The Monsters broke the tie a mere 34 seconds later behind the stick of Mike McLean, who has now scored in back-to-back games.  Mark McCutcheon helped on the goal, sending Lake Erie into the dressing room with a 2-1 lead, after outshooting Rochester, 19-7, in the session.

There would only be one goal in the second period, coming midway through the frame.  Matt Duffy knotted the score back up for the Amerks, finding the back of the net at the 8:06 point of the middle period.  Michael Caruso and Janis Sprukts picked up the assists on the goal.  The second period ended with the score knotted at two apiece. 

The third period belonged to Lake Erie.  Darcy Campbell gave the Monsters the lead for good with his score at 7:28, assisted by Ryan Del Monte, who was playing in just his second AHL game. 

Marshall added an insurance goal just for good measure at the 14:56 mark of the third period.  Phil Dupuis and Ledin assisted on the score.  For Ledin, it was his fifth multi-point game of the season.  The Monsters finished out the game and left with the 4-2 win.

Monsters goalie Tyler Weiman finished the night with 21 saves on 23 shots.  Across the ice, Rochester netminder Mike Brodeur recorded 29 saves on 33 shots.

Lake Erie finishes the season with a 3-2-1 record against the Americans.  The Monsters will now travel to Syracuse to finish the three-in-three on Saturday.