The Tahoe Knight Monsters returned home for their fifteenth game of the season, ready to square off with a brand-new opponent, the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Tahoe, the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, entered the matchup with an 8-5-1 record and sat fifth in the league standings. They were coming off a strong finish to their road trip, highlighted by a dominant 5–1 win over the Greensboro Gargoyles. On the other side, Savannah, affiliated with the Florida Panthers and formerly the only other ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, came in at 5-1-3 and held sixteenth place. With the all-time series sitting at 0-0-0, this marked the first-ever meeting between the two clubs, adding an extra layer of intrigue as Tahoe looks to build momentum on home ice.
The Knight Monsters entered the matchup riding the momentum of snapping a three-game losing streak and were aiming to lock down their ninth win of the season. Sitting atop their division and pushing toward the upper tier of the ECHL standings, Tahoe had plenty on the line, especially with this being the annual School Day Game. With an unusual 10:30 a.m. puck drop, the early start had the potential to disrupt the flow on both sides, as these games often do. The Knight Monsters were eager to deliver for the home crowd after a long road trip, even if School Day atmospheres tend to shift throughout the game. The arena is loud and buzzing early with thousands of kids, only for the energy to fade as classes file out before the final horn. Meanwhile, the Savannah Ghost Pirates arrived ready to spoil Tahoe’s homecoming and add a little chaos to a uniquely timed showdown.
In goal, the Tahoe Knight Monsters turned to #39 Cameron Whitehead, giving him the start for what marked his fifth ECHL appearance of the season. Across the ice, the Savannah Ghost Pirates countered with #31 Michael Simpson, who stepped in for his fourth game of the year with Savannah. Both young netminders were looking to make their mark, setting the stage for an intriguing goaltending matchup to open the morning tilt.
Just three minutes into the opening period, the Tahoe Knight Monsters grabbed the early lead. Rookie forward #38 Jordan Gustafson buried his first professional goal, a milestone moment that put Tahoe on the board. #65 Devon Paliani picked up the assist on the play, helping spark the Knight Monsters fast start in front of the energized School Day crowd.
Four minutes into the game, Savannah’s Christophe Tellier was sent to the box for tripping, giving Tahoe an early power-play opportunity. At the nine-minute mark, the Knight Monsters own Kaelan Taylor took a roughing penalty, briefly shifting the momentum back the other way. Despite the traded penalties, Tahoe held strong and carried their 1-0 lead into the first intermission, setting the tone after a steady opening frame.
With seven minutes remaining in the second period, Savannah’s Christophe Tellier was whistled for high-sticking, giving the Knight Monsters another chance with the man advantage. Tahoe wasted no time capitalizing, as #76 Trent Swick blasted home a power-play goal to extend the lead to two. #92 Sloan Stanick and #95 Samuel Mayer picked up the assists on the play, helping to double Tahoe’s cushion. The celebration was short-lived. A scrum broke out immediately after the goal, resulting in roughing penalties to both Swick and Savannah’s Evan Nause as tensions continued to rise.
The Knight Monsters carried a comfortable 2-0 lead into the third period, backed by steady play at both ends of the ice and a strong special-teams performance through the first forty minutes.
Four minutes into the third, Tahoe’s Casey Bailey was sent off for hooking, opening the door for Savannah to build some momentum. Two minutes later, the Ghost Pirates returned the favor when Robert Mastrosimone took a slashing penalty, briefly swinging the advantage back to the Knight Monsters. The whistles kept coming for Tahoe. At the eight minute mark, Mike O’Leary picked up a roughing call. With seven minutes left, Kevin Wall was tagged for delay of game. That final penalty proved costly. On the ensuing power play, Savannah finally broke through as #41 Nicholas Zabaneh found the back of the net, cutting into the lead. #22 Logan Drevitch and #2 Dennis Cesana collected the assists, giving the Ghost Pirates life late in the game.
Savannah pulled their goalie late in the third, searching for the tying goal with an extra attacker on the ice. But the move didn’t change the outcome for either side. The Ghost Pirates couldn’t capitalize with the additional skater, and Tahoe couldn’t quite hit the empty net to seal it. When the final horn sounded, the Knight Monsters held on for a 2-1 win, securing another hard-earned victory on home ice.
https://echl.com/videos/savannah-ghost-pirates-vs-tahoe-knight-monsters-nov-20-2025
Tahoe set the tone early, striking first in what quickly became a low-scoring, grind-it-out kind of game. They added the only goal of the second period to carry a firm advantage into the third, but a costly penalty eventually opened the door for Savannah to get on the board. Even so, the Knight Monsters managed to hang on, despite spending long stretches in their own zone. Offensive pressure was hard to sustain, and quality scoring chances were rare, but Tahoe made the most of the few they generated, and that proved to be the difference. Goaltending became the story of the day. Both netminders delivered standout performances, trading highlight-reel saves that kept the score tight from start to finish. Cameron Whitehead, in particular, was exceptional. He faced a heavy workload as Tahoe’s defense sagged at times. He stayed composed, fearless, and reliable on every shot thrown his way. He played well enough to earn a shutout, and honestly deserved one. That late penalty shifted the momentum just enough to break it. Still, a win is a win, and the atmosphere made it a memorable one. Early on, the building was electric school-day crowds only know one volume, screaming. But once the students filtered out, the energy dropped off dramatically, transforming the arena from playoff-level noise to what felt like an almost private viewing. Even with the strange flow, Tahoe held strong and secured a satisfying victory.
Despite being outshot nearly two to one, the Tahoe Knight Monsters made their opportunities count, posting a far superior shooting percentage compared to the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Tahoe also held a slight edge in special teams, recording one more power-play opportunity than Savannah. On the man advantage, the Knight Monsters converted once in four chances, while the Ghost Pirates managed one goal on three opportunities. In net, #39 Cameron Whitehead was outstanding, turning aside 44 of 45 shots for an impressive 98% save rate. #31 Michael Simpson kept Savannah in the game with 22 saves on 24 shots, finishing with a 92% save percentage. Ultimately, Whitehead’s stellar performance and efficient scoring were the difference in the tightly contested game.
With the win, the Tahoe Knight Monsters improved their record to 9-5-1, earning 17 points through fifteen games. The victory has them sitting in second place overall in the ECHL, while they hold the top spot in both the Western Conference and the Mountain Division. Positioned firmly in a playoff spot, Tahoe continues to build momentum as the season progresses, showing they’re an early team to watch.
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are set to face the Savannah Ghost Pirates in the sixteenth game of the season. This matchup marks the second of their three-game series in at home. The puck is dropping on Friday, November 21st, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Zac Electrifly 
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