It was another disappointing loss for the Worcester Railers this morning. I’ll get to the on the ice stuff in a bit, but first, the reason why puck drop was at 10:05am today.
There was over 4,000 Worcester public school students at today’s game, thanks to the Railers Foundation. It was a herculean task to get that many kids, all arriving in school busses, to their sections and into their seats before the opening puck drop.
With the early start time many of the usual DCU Center game day personnel were at their “normal” jobs, so lots of building staff were pressed into duties they weren’t that familiar with. Several of the Railers interns were in school, so they were shorthanded too.
Some Railers Booster Club members, myself included, were pressed into service to help marshal the teachers and kids towards their correct sections. Other Booster Club member who were attending the game and didn’t hear the call for volunteers stepped up without being asked.
All in all this had the makings of a potential train wreck (no pun intended), but amazingly enough everything appeared to work out fine.
I would ask that next time maybe the Railers don’t put “make some noise” on the Daktronics video board so often. I think the sound of 4,000 screaming school children speaks, well, volumes as to why that should be avoided.
Unfortunately, Worcester’s play on the ice didn’t match the success of the game day staff.
Player for player, the Railers were better than the Brampton Beast. Worcester was faster, they were better with the puck, they were better defensively. They flat out have more skill.
But the better team won today.
Brampton played better complimentary hockey today, took advantage of several Worcester mistakes, and skated away with two points. The loss puts Worcester in last place in the ECHL’s North Division.
You could say that if the puck bounced slightly differently a couple times and the Railers win 4-3 instead of lose by that score. They did hit the post a bunch of times (my unofficial count was four). Twice during scrambles in the Beast end the bouncing puck just slipped over the stick of a Railers attacker looking at a yawning net.
I’d rather point out the two huge missed opportunities by Barry Almeida and Wade Murphy, who both were alone in front facing the goaltender and neither got off a decent shot on goal. Or going 1-8 on the power play, and on some of those man advantages not getting a single scoring chance. And worse, allowing a shorthanded goal.
To be blunt, this team is way too talented to be making so many mistakes.
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