Monroe lost for the first time when leading after two periods, as the Fort Worth Brahmas scored three times in the third period to take a 6-4 decision over the Mocs.

"We didn't play well," Monroe coach Brian Curran said. "We made a lot of mistakes in our zone, and I don't know where some of our players' heads were tonight."

The Fort Worth win came in front of the largest crowdof the season, and biggest in more than two years, as 5,024 fans packed the snake Pit.

In the third period, one in which the Mocs have owned all season, the Brahmas did something no one has done. Fort Worth took a 5-4 lead on goals from Martin Lamarche and All-Star left wing Ross Harris to take its first lead of the game.

Lamarche scored an unassisted goal past Monroe netminder Marten Engren after the Mocs committed a turnover deep in their end.

"We pressured the puck as much as possible," Fort Worth coach Terry Menard said. "That gave us time to set up. We were a little lazy in the first period, but in the second and third periods we did a lot better pressuring the puck and forcing them to dump it."

Matt Cressman led the charge for the Mocs. Cressman tallied two goals, both of which gave Monroe a two-goal lead. But each time Moroe scored, Fort Worth had an answer.

Brahmas goals cut two-goal deficits each time they scored, until Lamarche scored an unassisted goal early in the third period to tie the game 4-4.

"We gave us some cheesy goals," Fort Worth right winger Stephane Larocque said. "But we kept hitting them and then got a lucky break with the tying goal. Al (Rooney) then made the saves at the end, as everyone did their part tonight."

Then two bad goals were scored by each team with less than a minute remaining in the first period.

Monroe goalie Marten Engren let a shot from Alex Kholomeyev slip past his stick, hit his skate and bound into the goal at the 19:03 mark of the period.

But 25 seconds later, Bill McKay got a gift from Brahmas goalie Al Rooney, who misplayed a seemingly harmless shot into a 3-1 Monroe lead. the puck hit Rooney's skate and slowly trickled across the line.

The teams exchanged goals in the second period as Monroe still led 4-3 entering the second intermission.

Fort Worth winger Larocque and Corey Evans sandwiched goals around Cressman, cutting the deficit to one.

But the Mocs fell apart in a period that they have owned all season. Monroe held a 14-0-0 mark when leading after two periods and had outscored opponents by 18 goals in the third period.

"I don't know if we were tight or tense," Curran said. "I imagine with a crowd that size the energy level should have been incredible.

"We started with a decent period, and were up 3-1. in the second period we were outplayed and after being up 4-2, we didn't give the crowd anything to be pumped up about. Then we got into the third period, and there wasn't anything we did well."

Harris added an empty netter at the 19:25 mark of the third period to assure the Brahmas of their 18th win.