PORTLAND – Trent Whitfield netted the game-winning goal as the Portland Pirates defeated the Manchester Monarchs 3-2 in a shootout Saturday.

Connor James had both Monarchs (34-9-3-3) goals, drawing first blood at 3:32 in the first period before Boyd Gordon scored for Portland.

James netted the puck again at 16:17 of the second, but Graham Mink deadlocked the game for the Pirates (20-22-3-4) less than three minutes later.