Wolves fall to Cleveland

The Chicago Wolves wrapped up a set of three games in three days by falling to the Cleveland Monsters 3-2 on Sunday at Allstate Arena.

Goals by Josiah Slavin and Skyler Brind’Amour weren’t enough as the Wolves dropped their fourth game in a row, including back-to-back contests against the Monsters.

After a scoreless opening period, the Wolves grabbed the lead late in the second on Slavin’s score. After being sprung by a pass from Nikita Pavlychev, the captain swooped in and shoveled a backhander past Cleveland netminder Zach Sawchenko to the glove side. Pavlychev and Charles-Alexis Legault earned assists on Slavin’s seventh goal of the season.

The Monsters seized the lead with a pair of goals 1 minute, 5 seconds apart in the waning moments of the period. First, Trey Fix-Wolansky tallied and Samuel Knazko then beat the horn to make it 2-1 Cleveland. Former Wolves forward Rocco Grimaldi assisted on both markers.

Luca Del Bel Belluz’s score early in the third extended the Monsters’ advantage, but Brind’Amour’s strike cut the Wolves’ deficit to 3-2.

The forward camped in front of the Monsters net, pounced on a rebound of a Austin Wagner shot and banged it home for Brind’Amour’s ninth goal of the season. Wagner had the lone assist.

Spencer Martin (19 saves) took the loss in goal for the Wolves while Sawchenko (23 saves) earned the win for the Monsters.

Chicago dropped to 24-20-2-0 on the season while Cleveland improved to 26-14-4-4.