Portland, ME - The Manchester Monarchs dealt the Pirates a 3-2 loss behind three third period goals. Jhonas Enroth made more than 30 saves for the second straight night, stopping 32 of 35 shots thrown his way.

Portland and Manchester played a scoreless first period with Pirates goaltender Jhonas Enroth stopping all eight shots he faced and Monarchs goalie Daniel Taylor making all nine saves needed to keep Portland off the board.

The Pirates struck first in the second period when Derek Whitmore drove hard down the right wing then cut to the front of the net and tried to jam the puck past Manchester netminder Daniel Taylor. Aaron Slattengren crashed the net and put the rebound home. Slattengren's fifth goal of the season was assisted by Derek Whitmore and Kyle Rank at the 7:13 mark of the second period.

Portland took the lead into the third period, but Manchester found the equalizer 4:55 into the period when Dusty Collins found the puck behind the goal line and banked it off Enroth and into the net. Davis Drewiski picked up the assist on Collins fourth goal of the season. Just over four minutes later, the Monarchs scored again when Ryan Murphy took a pass in front and beat Enroth for his fifth goal of the season. Brad Richardson and Paul Crosty got the assists on the play to give the Monarchs a 2-1 lead.

The Pirates fought back when Mark Mancari blasted a slap shot from the top of the left circle to beat Taylor. The Pirates leading scorer got his 16th goal of the season at the 14:04 mark of the third period with Cliff Loya and Tim Kennedy getting the assists.

The Monarchs took the lead back just 2:21 later when David Meckler got a breakaway. Enroth made the initial save but Meckler jammed home the rebound for his 10th goal of the season. Scott Parse got the only assist on what turned into the game winning goal at the 16:25 mark of the third period.

Portland goaltender Jhonas Enroth made 32 saves on 35 shots and took the loss. Daniel Taylor stopped 26 of 28 shots he faced to grab the win.

Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game: 1. David Meckler (MAN) 2. Jhonas Enroth (POR) 3. Daniel Taylior (MAN)

Notes: Jhonas Enroth made 30 plus saves for the second straight game...Attendance: 5,698.

The Pirates next home game is Monday, January 19th, 2009 when the Pirates celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special matinee game at 1:00 pm, sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Time Warner Cable. Special guests include Willie O'Ree and members of the NAACP.

Willie O'Ree was the first Canadian of African descent to play in the NHL and he is currently the Director of Youth Development and Ambassador for Youth Diversity with the NHL. He will be performing the ceremonial puck drop before the game.

Nickelodeon's Diego from "Go Diego Go" will make a special appearance at the game and be available for photos. Fans are encouraged to stick around after the game, lace up their skates and skate with the team, sponsored by Weight Watchers and Mercy Hospital. IT will also be a Maine Recreations and Parks Association Day. Stop by the MRPA table in the lobby to sign up for a chance to win a 2009 Maine State Park pass.

Fans can follow the Pirates on U.S. Cellular Pirates Radio Network or watch the game LIVE on the internet courtesy of AHL Live by clicking the icon on the left side of the home page. The U.S. Cellular Pirates Radio Network includes the Pirates flagship station, the Bay 1400AM and 1490AM (Portland) and affiliates WEZR 1240 AM (Lewiston-Auburn), WTME 780AM (Rumford) and WKTQ 1450AM (South Paris).