1998 at Springfield 6-6 tie
The Worcester IceCats scored four third period goals to earn a point in a 6-6 tie with the Falcons. For the IceCats rookie Derek Bekar scored his first two pro goals, both coming in the third period. Jan Horacek, Reed Low, Matt Smith, and Shayne Toporowski had the other IceCats goals. Greg Phillips had a hat trick for Springfield, and Tavis Hansen, Rob Murray, and Brad Tiley scored the other Springfield goals. Rich Parent played the first two periods in goal for the IceCats. Scott Roche made his AHL debut and worked the third period.
1999 vs Portland 3-0 loss
(TICKER) Martin Brochu turned away 31 shots en route to his second shutout of the season as the Portland Pirates downed the Worcester Ice Cats, 3-0. Brochu, who improved to 4-2-1, stopped 21 shots through the first two periods. Ryan Mulhern scored the first goal 5:15 into the contest for Portland, which killed all eight of Worcester’s power-play opportunities. Trent Whitfield assisted on a pair of third-period goals for the Pirates. Brent Johnson had 24 saves but surrendered all three goals in the loss.
2004 at Springfield 9-0 win
(FALCONS) The Springfield Falcons suffered a 9-0 loss to the Worcester IceCats in their 2004-05 home opener at the Springfield Civic Center on Saturday evening. Worcester forwards Blake Evans and Mike Glumac each posted two goals and an assist. Right wing Jon DiSalvatore also scored twice for the IceCats. Goaltender Curtis Sanford stopped all 27 Falcons’ shots to record his first shutout of the season. Evans opened scoring 58 seconds into the game with a snap shot from the top of the left wing face-off circle that snuck past Springfield netminder Jamie Storr’s blocker. Evans scored again during a Worcester power play with 4:42 left in the first period from the right wing. ‘Cats forward Jeff Hogan added another power-play goal 58 seconds later by depositing a rebound that came off the end boards in the Springfield zone. Worcester center Brendan Brooks later put a wrist shot between the pads of Storr to make the score 4-0 at first intermission. The IceCats continued to press in the second period and again registered four goals in the frame. Jay McClement and Glumac scored 44 seconds apart early in the period. Glumac created his goal by stealing a puck in the Springfield zone as the Falcons attempted to break out. Glumac walked in on Storr before snapping a shot into the top corner. The 24-year-old scored again at the 9:49 mark of the period. Springfield head coach Dirk Graham replaced Storr in net with Brian Eklund following the goal. DiSalvatore capped scoring with the final two goals of the game, scoring unassisted with 4:55 remaining in the second period and then tallying during a rush from the right wing for the lone goal of the third frame. Storrs made 22 saves in the game while Eklund turned aside seven of nine shots in the Falcons’ net. The IceCats outshot Springfield, 38-27, in the game.
2009 at Providence 3-2 win OT
(WORSHARKS) Jamie McGinn’s shot from the left circle at 1:58 of the overtime period capped off a come from behind win for the Sharks over the Bruins by the score of 3-2 at the Dunkin Donuts Center on Friday night. The first period was fast paced with the Bruins getting the best offensive chance early at 91 seconds as Mikko Lehtonen fired the puck off the crossbar after a two-on-one break. Frazer McLaren and Brett Cloutier dropped the gloves and helmets after a promotions break at 11:15 and Frazer took down Cloutier with flurry of right hand punches. Danny Groulx led a 3on2 break into the Bruins zone and fired a laser wrist shot from the right circle top shelf on Matt Dalton to give Worcester a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal of the season for Groulx and Logan Couture extended his point streak to four games with an assist. The Sharks led 1-0 after twenty minutes despite being outshot by a 7-5 Bruins advantage. In the second period, the Bruins would tie the game at 1-1 after Jeff LoVecchio converted a shorthanded breakaway chance at 14:14. With the teams 4on4, the Bruins Andy Wozniewski fired a shot from a tough angle from the left wing boards that just snuck under the crossbar behind Alex Stalock. The Sharks trailed 2-1 after forty minutes of play and were outshot 20-16. Former Bruin T.J. Trevelyan tied the score at 2-2 at 7:42 of the third period after a great rush down the left side and jammed the puck past Dalton. It was all Sharks in the third period outshooting the Bruins 19-8 in the third guided by three power plays. Bruins netminder Matt Dalton lost his stick in overtime and Jamie McGinn made him pay with a quick shot from the left circle that snuck in far side to give the Sharks an exciting overtime win. The goal was the third in three games for McGinn assisted by Groulx and Callahan. With the win, the Sharks improve their record to 4-1-0-1 (nine points).
2010 vs Providence 4-3 OTL
(WORSHARKS) Justin Braun scored with 44 seconds left in the third period on the power play to force overtime but Jamie Arniel struck at 3:26 into the extra frame as the Sharks dropped their home opener 4-3 in front of a sellout crowd at the DCU Center in Worcester on Saturday night. The Sharks fall to 2-1-1-1 in five home openers at the DCU Center. Benn Ferriero and T.J. Trevelyan also scored goals for Worcester while Alex Stalock made 24 saves and stopped a penalty shot in the overtime loss. Jamie Arniel scored two goals for the Bruins and Nolan Schaefer made 31 saves in for Providence. The Bruins took an early 2-0 lead in the first on goals by Wyatt Smith (1st), scored on the power play at 6:27 of the period and Jamie Arniel (2nd) at 16:49. The Sharks began to put some pressure on Bruins goalie Nolan Schaefer midway through the period and broke through on a power play goal by forward TJ Trevelyan (1st)at 18:10 of the first. Trevelyan picked up the puck near the goal mouth and attempted a pass to Jonathan Cheechoo but the pass was deflected in off a Providence defenseman, giving Trevelyan the tally. Forward Jonathan Cheechoo and defenseman Justin Braun picked up the assists on the goal. The Sharks outshot the Bruins 12-5 but trailed 2-1 after the first twenty minutes of play. The second period had a familiar start as Providence scored early on to take a 3-1 lead. Bruins center Levi Nelson (1st) scored at 1:56 of the period on a partial breakaway on Sharks goalie Alex Stalock. Bruins forward Antoine Roussel was tripped up on a breakaway at 6:38 of the period and was awarded a penalty shot, which Sharks goalie Alex Stalock stopped with a sliding left pad save. The Bruins outshot the Sharks 9-7 in the period and took a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period. The third period turned into a defensive battle until late in the period. Trailing 3-1 late in the 3rd, the Sharks scored two unanswered goals to force overtime. Sharks center Benn Ferriero (4th) lit the lamp at 12:01on the power play with a hard shot from the point. Sharks resident tough guy Brandon Mashinter squared off with Bruins captain Jeremy Reich at 17:20 which brought the DCU Center to its feet to set the tone for the Sharks comeback. Justin Braun(1st) fired a slap shot from the point to tie the game at 3-3 on a 6-on-4 advantage with 0:44 remaining in the game. The Sharks outshot the Bruins 13-8 in the period and entered the overtime period tied at 3-3. Both teams played it conservatively in the overtime period until Providence broke through on a shot from the right circle by Bruins forward Jamie Arniel, his 2nd of the game and 3rd of the season at 3:26. The Sharks were outshot 6-2 in overtime but outshot the Providence Bruins for the game 34-28. The Sharks record falls to 1-2-1-1(4 points).
2013 vs Manchester 4-1 loss
(WORSHARKS) Daniil Tarasov scored for the second game in a row for Worcester, but it wasn’t enough as the Worcester Sharks (1-3-0-0, 2pts) fell 4-1 to the Manchester Monarchs (5-0-1-2, 13pts) at the DCU Center on Wednesday night. Harri Sateri made 28 saves in goal while Bracken Kearns (2-5-7) extended his point streak to four games with an assist in the loss. Tyler Toffoli lead the way with three points (2-1-3) for Manchester and Martin Jones was sharp in net with 32 saves. Goaltending stole the show in the first period as both teams were unable to find the back of the net. Worcester starting goaltender Harri Sateri had 15 saves and Manchester goaltender Martin Jones had 16. Only one player was sent to the penalty box in the period, making for a fast-paced twenty minutes. Manchester came out of the gate strong in the middle period, as Tanner Pearson (4th) rocketed a shot past Sateri from the top of the right circle at the :32 mark putting the Monarchs up 1-0. After that, both goaltenders shut it down, with Sateri going 7-8 and Jones going 9-9. The Sharks trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes of play. Despite only being outshot 10-9 in the final period, the Sharks were outscored 3-1 as the Monarchs pulled away. Tyler Toffoli (4th) got one by Sateri on a pass from behind the net at 4:29. Worcester’s lone goal came on a power play from Daniil Tarasov (2nd), who put the puck right in the net after a perfectly placed pass from Dylan DeMelo. Manchester began to pull away at the 18:30 when Nicolas Deslauriers (2nd) capitalized on a breakaway opportunity and put Manchester up 3-1. The Monarchs sealed the victory on an empty-net goal at 19:11 from Tyler Toffoli (5th), his second of the night, giving Manchester 4-1 lead that they would hold on to for the rest of the game. The Sharks overall record falls to 1-3-0-0, 2pts and 1-2-0-0 2pts at the DCU Center.
2021 vs Maine 4-3 win
(RAILERS) In hindsight, it is not clear if it was the penalty killing, the goaltending or David Cunniff’s hat that brought the Railers their first victory of the season Saturday night. Worcester beat the Maine Mariners, 4-3, in front of a crowd of 10,508, second-best in franchise history after the sellout of 12,135 when the Railers debuted on Oct. 14, 2017. The Railers love big crowds. They are 4-0-0 when they play in front of 8,000 or more at the DCU Center. Nolan Vesey had two goals to place the Worcester attack. Felix Bibeau added another and Nic Pierog scored the game winner, a goal at 6:56 of the third period that came just seven seconds after the Railers killed a penalty and gave Worcester its first lead of the season. Colten Ellis, in his professional goaltending debut, made 42 saves to preserve the win including some remarkable ones in the closing minutes when the Mariners pulled their goalie for a 6 on 4 advantage. “I think he was unbelievable,” Cunniff said. “I think he won us a hockey game. I don’t know how he made some of those saves, I really don’t,” Cunniff said. “I think we’re gonna have the pleasure this year of looking at a future NHL goalie.” The best stop was on Lewis Zerter-Gossage with 1:04 to go in the third. The Mariners’ forward had the puck at the bottom of the right circle with time and room and Ellis somehow stopped the shot with his glove. “I just tried to get over there as fast as I can and cover the net,” Ellis said, “and get my glove kind of out there and was fortunate to make the save.” Pierog scored on a rebound to finish a 2 on 1, taking advantage of Jacob Hayhurst’s original shot on Maine goalie Zach Bouthillier. “On a 2 on 1, you know there’s always gonna be a rebound,” Pierog said, “but it was an amazing shot by Hayhurst. We practice it all the time and he put it on a tee for me.” The Railers, who were not good killing penalties Friday night in Maine, were 4 for 4 Saturday night and Cunniff credited assistant Jason Franzone for getting that unit back on track. As far as anyone remembers, no Worcester pro coach had worn a hat of any kind during a game until Cunniff Saturday night. A native of South Boston, Cunniff sported a Boston Scally. “I was just styling,” Cunniff said of his wardrobe choice. Asked about wearing it again in Glens Falls Wednesday night he replied, “We won, so I might as well. It covers my bald head.” Matthew Santos, Pascal Laberge, and Nick Master had the Maine goals. Santos and Laberge scored in the first period, Master in the second. In between the first-period goals, Vesey tied it at 18:03 by beating Zach Bouthillier with a 15-footer from the left side. Bibeau tied the game for Worcester 23 seconds into the second period as he kept the puck to finish a 2 on 1, using Blake Christensen as a decoy. Bibeau ripped a 25-footer home. The Mariners responded at 10:46, Master ramming in a second rebound after the Railers allowed him to break through the defense and approach Ellis undisturbed. Vesey re-tied it at 14:59, deflecting a low 40-foot wrist shot by Malatesta, who was set up by Brent Beaudoin, and it was 3-3 going into the third. MAKING TRACKS_Springfield recalled rookies Mathias Laferriere and Keean Washkurak and returned Christensen and Pierog, both of whom were in the lineup. Pierog made his 2021-22 Railers debut wearing the familiar Number 61. … Ellis’ Number 92 is the highest in franchise history, surpassing Ashton Rome’s 88 from the first season. … The Mariners were without Ed Tralmaks, who scored three goals on Friday night. He was immediately recalled by Maine’s AHL partner, the Providence Bruins. … Worcester travels to Glens Falls on Wednesday to play Adirondack, where the Railers have a better winning percentage than at the DCU Center. They are 13-6-1 in 20 games out there. Worcester’s next home game is Nov. 6 versus Florida. It will be IceCats night. …Original Railer Connor Doherty, now with Maine, was recognized on the video board during the first period. … Worcester is 4-0-0 in home openers. … Beaudoin was 0-1-1 and plus 3. Counting his one game two seasons ago he is 1-2-3 and plus-5 in two games.
2022 vs Adirondack 4-1 win
(RAILERS) The Railers proved something Sunday afternoon. They don’t have to score five goals to win. On occasion, four will do. Worcester made it a 2-0 start to the season with a 4-1 triumph over the Adirondack Thunder, once again prevailing in a game it never trailed. The Railers got a pair of goals from Steve Jandric and one apiece from Collin Adams and Brent Beaudoin. They also got superb goaltending from Henrik Tikkanen, making his North American pro debut. Tikkanen stopped 26 of 27 shots and helped the Railers preserve an early 2-0 lead when their performance sagged a bit during the middle of the game. “He was fantastic for us,” coach Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman said succinctly. The only Thunder goal was a little iffy, at that. Noah Corson got it at 14:14 of the first period to cut the Railers lead to 2-1. From a distance, and later on unofficial video, it looked like Corson’s stick was high. Smotherman asked about an official review but referee Michael Zyla told him it was not a reviewable play. So the goal stood. Jandric, who showed promise in a late-season cameo last year after being signed out of Merrimack and thus played alongside Smotherman, had a dominant game and simply outskated the Thunder twice to score. “I liked him last year,” Smotherman said of Jandric. “He was strong, he was solid, he could put the puck in the net. We knew that. He’s at a whole different level this season. From the day he arrived in camp he’s been phenomenal. “He’s stronger and he’s faster. His compete level is through the roof. He’s been one of our better forwards since Day 1 of camp and honestly, I couldn’t be happier with the attitude and with the effort.” Nine different Railers registered point with Blade Jenkins also having a multi-point game thanks to two assists. Jenkins set up Adams’ goal at 4:48 of the first period after Reece Newkirk won a battle near the blue line to keep the puck in the offensive zone. It wound up going to Jenkins, who fired a bad angle shot at Thunder goaltender Isaac Poulter. The rebound did a right-angle out to Adams alone in front and Poulter had no chance to make that stop. Jandric scored a pretty goal at 13:10 to give Worcester a 2-0 lead. He got the puck from Blake Christensen and went into high gear down the right wing, turning the Adirondack defense and beating Coulter as he cut across the front of the net. The Railers came back to life in the third period, scoring twice and creating several great chances. Jandric’s second goal, set up by Jacob Hayhurst, came at 10:05 as he skated through a group of Thunder defenders and broke in alone on Poulter. Then, with Poulter on the bench, Beaudoin had six feet of empty net to shoot at from five feet away and finished the scoring at 19:24. MAKING TRACKS – The Railers had one lineup change with Quinn Ryan making his Worcester debut, Bobby Butler getting the day off. … Tikkanen is tied with goalie Ian Milosz and defenseman Connor McCarthy as tallest Railers ever at 6-feet-7. … The Railers are out of town until they play host to Newfoundland on Nov. 2. In the meantime they have a three-game road trip and play at Trois-Rivieres Wednesday, then play back to back in Adirondack next Saturday and Sunday. … The Thunder was without Yanick Turcotte, who got a game misconduct for leaving the bench for an altercation at the end of Saturday night’s game. It is a five-gamer, so Turcotte will miss next weekend’s series as well. … Zyla made his DCU Center debut, becoming the first “Z” referee in franchise history. … It is just two games but the DCU boards, especially the backboards, seem livelier this season than in the past. … Worcester Red Sox president Charles Steinberg was a face in the crowd. … The Curse of the Rossbino? The Railers have not scored a power play goal since they traded Ross Olsson to Orlando last March. The streak is 16 games long — 14 last season and the first two this one. … Attendance was 4,107. … The Railers improved to 31-16-2 all-time versus the Thunder.
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