ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Americans fell behind by two goals in the first period and couldn’t overcome the deficit on their way to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the 
visiting Toronto Marlies Saturday night at The Blue Cross Arena. The loss prevents consecutive victories for the Amerks, who watch their overall record fall to 12-19-1-0 on the season.
With the loss, the Amerks fall behind in the season series against their neighbors to the north, as the Marlies now hold an advantage head-to-head with three wins in five contests.
Brodie Reid,signed to a PTO earlier in the day, scored his first goal as an Amerk during the first period, with Tim Schaller adding his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the third period. Andrey Makarov started his third consecutive game, and made 17 saves in a losing effort. Returning to the lineup in his first game since Dec. 5, captain Drew Bagnall added an assist.
Sam Carrick, Byron Froese and Matt Frattin all scored for Toronto, with Christopher Gibson starting in net and denying 24 of Rochester’s 26 shots.
Toronto earned a 1-0 lead just 3:28 into the game when Carrick scooped up a rebound from Petter Granberg’s outside shot and snapped the puck past Makarov. A 2-0 advantage would be in store late in the opening period after Froese converted on a wrap-around attempt. The play was initially reviewed to confirm a goal, and was upheld.
Just 21 seconds after the Marlies took a two-goal lead, the Amerks cut the deficit to a single tally when the puck bounced to Reid beside the net. With no one in position to defend him, Reid shot far-side on Gibson and into the net, bringing the score to 2-1.
Following a scoreless second period, the Amerks gained a critical two-man advantage early in the third with an opportunity to tie the score. Instead, the Marlies shut down Rochester’s seventh overall power-play unit and countered with a successful breakaway attempt from Frattin less than a minute after the two-man advantage expired.
The Amerks bounced back just 2:48 later when Bagnall, returning to the lineup after a nine-game absence, took a slap-shot from the blueline that was deflected in the slot by Schaller and past Gibson to cut into Toronto’s lead. The Amerks pulled Makarov with 1:27 left in regulation, but were unable to find the equalizer as Toronto chewed up the clock during the final minute to prevent any comeback effort.
