SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks drag Pirates into overtime but lose 4-3

The Worcester Sharks fell behind by allowing two late second period goals but got two third period goals of their own to force overtime, but couldn’t complete the comeback in extra time and dropped a 4-3 contest to the Portland Pirates Friday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.

When a team is having issues scoring like the WorSharks are falling behind early is something you didn’t want to do, and doing it on a 60 foot wrist shot is a way you certainly don’t want to do it. But that’s exactly what happened when Tyler Eckford fired a blast from the blueline through traffic and beat Worcester goaltender Harri Sateri to the blocker side at 5:08 of the opening period.

Exactly one minute later the WorSharks would get back to even while on the power play when John McCarthy threw a pass from the left wing side to Benn Ferriero in the slot. Ferriero redirected the pass on net past Pirates netminder Curtis McElhinney for his sixth goal of the season. Matt Irwin had the second assist on the play.

In the closing seconds of the period Cam MacIntyre and Igor Gongalsky battled it out in a bout most score even.

Just like the opening 20 minutes where the WorSharks held a 15-6 shots on goal advantage the second period was also tilted toward the Portland goal with Worcester again outshooting their opponents 14-9, but it would be the Pirates that would grab the only goals of the stanza with two from rookie standout Andy Miele.

Miele’s first goal was a lucky bounce–the type goal scorers always seem to get– when his original shot was deflected off a stick in front of Sateri and fluttered over the netminder and into the net at 14:45. His second goal was one of those ‘right place, right time’ tallies when he was in a perfect position to received a big bounce off the end boards from Nick Ross’ shot that went well wide of the goal at 17:38 when Portland was on the power play.

Before Miele’s tally MacIntyre was again involved in some fisticuffs, this time against rookie Jordan Szwarz. It was Szwarz’s first fight as a pro, and it showed as MacIntyre easily outclassed the rookie and won handily.

Worcester again owned the third period on the shot meter with an 18-6 advantage, and luckily for the WorSharks they also owned the scoreboard with two goals in 108 seconds in the middle of the period. Curt Gogol would have the first of those two goals at 8:34 when he completed was rush up ice with James Livingston and Marek Viedensky with a nifty wrist shot just under the crossbar just after Viedensky’s wrap around attempt was stuffed by McElhinney.

Tommy Wingels would knot the game 3-3 when he took a Ferriero feed and bolted down the right wing side. Wingels fought off a Pirates defender and roofed a wrist shot from the low circle over McElhinney at 10:22.

After outshooting the Pirates 41-21 in regulation Worcester didn’t register a single shot in overtime, and Eckford connected at 3:19 of the extra period with Taylor Doherty in the penalty box to send the WorSharks home with another extra time loss.

GAME NOTES
Worcester scratches were Jimmy Bonneau (healthy), Mike Connolly (unknown), Ben Guite (foot), Brandon Mashinter (unknown), Mike Moore (head), Sean Sullivan (lower body). Tyson Sexsmith was the back-up netminder. Bill Ballou of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette is reporting that Connolly was injured in practice Thursday after being cross checked by an unnamed defenseman in a one on one drill. Ryan Del Monte returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a charlie horse.

After the game the AHL announced defenseman Matt Pelech has been suspended two games for his check to the head of Jordan Nolan Wednesday night in Manchester. The suspension leaves the WorSharks with potentially five healthy defensemen, so if Moore and/or Sullivan are not ready to return Worcester may have to dip into the ECHL for a blue liner. There are no skaters under contract in Stockton, so anyone brought in will have to be signed to a PTO.

Call it a “communication breakdown”…last Wednesday the WorSharks indicated that the pre-Thanksgiving game in Manchester would be the last for Frazer McLaren’s conditioning assignment. Apparently there was some confusion about assignment dates which led to McLaren being eligible for Friday night’s contest. There is no confusion at this point; his conditioning loan is over and he’ll need to be returned to San Jose or clear waivers to play for the WorSharks. A quick check of the transaction wire just prior to posting shows neither has been reported yet.

The three stars of the game were
1. POR – Eckford (2g)
2. POR – Miele (2g)
3. POR – McElhinney (44 saves)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Benn Ferriero.

BOXSCORE

Worcester 1 0 2 0 – 3
Portland 1 2 0 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Portland, Eckford 2 (MacLean, Watkins), 5:08. 2, Worcester, Ferriero 6 (McCarthy, Irwin), 6:08 (PP). Penalties-Hextall Por (high-sticking), 5:15; Arsene Por (tripping), 8:14; Pouliot Por (hooking), 10:38; Gogol Wor (roughing), 17:04; Arsene Por (roughing), 17:04; MacIntyre Wor (fighting), 19:47; Gongalsky Por (fighting), 19:47.

2nd Period-3, Portland, Miele 6 (MacLean), 14:45. 4, Portland, Miele 7 (Ross, Watkins), 17:38 (PP). Penalties-Summers Por (holding), 9:21; MacIntyre Wor (fighting), 13:03; Szwarz Por (fighting), 13:03; Pelech Wor (cross-checking), 15:48; Arsene Por (holding), 19:41.

3rd Period-5, Worcester, Gogol 3 (Viedensky, Livingston), 8:34. 6, Worcester, Wingels 3 (Ferriero), 10:22. Penalties-Petrecki Wor (tripping), 4:36.

OT Period-7, Portland, Eckford 3 (Miele, Pouliot), 3:19 (PP). Penalties-Doherty Wor (holding), 2:40.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 15-14-18-0-47. Portland 6-9-6-4-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 5; Portland 2 / 3.
Goalies-Worcester, Sateri 3-4-0 (25 shots-21 saves). Portland, McElhinney 5-7-0 (47 shots-44 saves).
A-5,218
Referees-Jarrod Ragusin (42).
Linesmen-Landon Bathe (80), Joe Ross (92).