MANCHESTER, NH – Sam Ftorek’s first American Hockey League goal helped the home team salvage a point, as the Manchester Monarchs and the Utah Grizzlies skated to a 2-2 tie before 8,153 fans at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night.

Ftorek’s goal, his first in six games since signing with the Monarchs on November 29, was the only one scored in the third period. Ftorek lifted his wrist shot over the shoulder of goaltender Jason Bacashihua from five feet in front of the net at 3:05. Defenseman Richard Seeley and right wing Leon Hayward assisted on the play as the Monarchs earned a point for the first time this season when entering the final period trailing on the scoreboard. The Monarchs were 0-8-0-0 in games where they trailed heading into the third before Friday.

With the point, the Monarchs improved to 13-10-2-2 in the Atlantic Division. The Monarchs rank fourth in the division with 30 points. They trail the Hartford Wolf Pack (14-6-4-1, 33 points), the Providence Bruins (13-9-5-0, 31 points) and the Worcester IceCats (13-9-5-0, 31 points) in the standings.

The Monarchs outshot the Grizzlies 4-3 in the overtime session, with right wing Pavel Rosa’s bid from the right circle midway through the session serving as their best chance to win.

As has been the case in home games of late, the Monarchs needed to come back from two one-goal deficits to earn the point in the standings. Center Dylan Gyori was credited with the only first period goal, scored on a rebound at 5:33. Former Monarchs left wing Rob Valicevic and right wing David Oliver assisted as the Grizzlies opened a 1-0 lead.

A face-off win in the Utah zone quickly turned into a Monarchs goal 5:58 into the second period. Rookie defenseman Tim Gleason took center Steve Kelly’s face-off win and fired a slap shot through traffic from the left point. The puck deflected off a Utah defender, and then off Monarchs left wing Brad Church, before hitting the back of the net. Church was credited with the goal, his first of the season. The former No. 1 pick (17th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft), was recalled by the Monarchs from the ECHL’s Reading Royals on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies improved on their league-worst power play percentage later in the period and regained the lead at 2-1. Defenseman Dan Jancevski took right wing Barrett Heisten’s feed at the left circle and snapped his shot over the left shoulder of goaltender Adam Hauser at 14:03. Heisten and forward David Gove assisted on Jancevski’s second of the season. The goal was just the 12th on the power play for the Grizzlies this season.

Hauser, who played well throughout the contest, finished with 24 saves. Bacashihua had 23 stops. The Grizzles were 1-for-8 on the power play. The Monarchs were 0-for-6.

The Monarchs open a four-game road trip when they visit The Arena at Harbor Yard for a contest with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday, December 13. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.