The Cleveland Monsters started the 2018-19 season with three netminders on their roster. Jean-Fracois Berube started for the squad. While Brad Thiessen and Matiss Kivlenieks shared back-up duties.
Getting to play with veterans like Berube and Thiessen proved beneficial to Kivlenieks. As the season drew on, Kivlenieks starting tightening up his skills and playing with a bit more confidence. He also started talking with the defense more between plays. This led to a better understanding of what Kivlenieks needed the defense to do for him to succeed. The deeper the season went, the less the defense let the opposition get in Kivlenieks’ crease.