The Worcester Railers and South Carolina Stingrays played their third game in three days Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center, but it was just like Ground Hog Day with each game being pretty much exactly like the one before as the Railers lost again to be swept in the weekend series.
Worcester led for exactly 58 seconds over the 180 minutes played, and other than when it was 0-0 the score was tied for just 15:47. It was an old-fashioned ass-whoopin’, and there’s no other way to put it.
Bear Hughes made it 1-0 Stingrays at 4:57 of the opening period when none of the five players on the ice thought that covering him was something they should do. With four of the five Railers on the ice to the right of netminder Brent Moran–you can’t even see Bobby Butler on the video until after the shot was taken so what he was doing is anyone’s guess–Anthony Del Gaizo fed Hughes the puck in the slot, and with teammate Carter Turnbull completely uncovered to the right of the far post Hughes fired a hard shot that beat Moran.
In the second frame, Andrew Cherniwchan made it 2-0 with a power play goal at 11:15 in what was essentially a two-on-one down low against Connor McCarthy. And while McCarthy really didn’t do anything wrong he also didn’t really do anything right either.
Later in the period, it was Anthony Repaci that cut the deficit in half.
It was 2-1 entering the third period, but newly arrived Jimmy Lambert needed just 32 seconds of the frame to knot the score 2-2.
Just over three minutes later Kevin O’Neil gave South Carolina a 3-2 lead when he skated freely around the Railers zone unchallenged by any Worcester player. With Artur Terchiyev unable to clear out the front of the net a screened Moran had little chance on O’Neil’s shot through traffic.
Tarek Baker made it the 4-2 final with an empty net goal at 19:11 in which it can only be assumed Trever Cosgrove forgot there was no goaltender in the net behind him. After Cosgrove made two poor plays in his own end his attempted pass to Myles McGurty, who was the absolute wrong guy to pass the puck to as he was facing the wrong direction to receive a pass and had two South Carolina players within ten feet of him, bounded to a Stingrays player. With the net empty behind him, Cosgrove inexplicably backed off Baker, allowing Baker just enough room to comfortably backhand the puck into the yawning net.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were Collin Adams (upper body), Ken Appleby (IR/unknown), Phil Beaulieu (IR/unknown), Jared Brandt (IR/lower), Liam Coughlin, Noah Delmas, Jack Quinlivan (IR/unknown), and Nolan Vesey. Henrik Tikkanen was the backup goaltender.
Prior to the game Bridgeport assigned Jimmy Lambert to the Railers. Needing a roster spot Worcester added Brandt to the injured reserve list.
The three stars of the game were:
1. SC – 19 Kevin O’Neil
2. WOR – 44 Jimmy Lambert
3. SC – 33 Clay Stevenson
The 210Sports Player of the Game was no one, and there won’t be any until this roster is blown up.
Even Strength Lines
Ryan / Lambert / Butler
Bakanov / Newkirk / Christensen
Fea / Beaudoin / Repaci
X / Jerry / Bross
Evers / McCarthy
Terchiyev / McGurty
Cosgrove / Breen
Our affiliates last night
No games scheduled
In the ECHL’s North Division
Newfoundland 5, Maine 3
North Division Standings
Newfoundland 65 (.739)
Reading 54 (.659)
Maine 52 (.634)
Worcester 47 (.534)
Adirondack 36 (.439)
Trois-Rivieres 36 (.409)
Norfolk 19 (.216)
BOX SCORE
South Carolina 1 1 2 – 4
Worcester 0 1 1 – 2
1st Period-1, South Carolina, Hughes 17 (Del Gaizo, Anderson), 4:57. Penalties-Evers Wor (slashing), 14:59.
2nd Period-2, South Carolina, Cherniwchan 7 (Scarfo, O’Neil), 11:15 (PP). 3, Worcester, Repaci 9 (Lambert), 16:42. Penalties-Wardley Sc (elbowing), 0:34; Jerry Wor (roughing), 9:34; Baker Sc (cross-checking), 17:17.
3rd Period-4, Worcester, Lambert 9 0:32. 5, South Carolina, O’Neil 15 (Wilkins, Maass), 3:38. 6, South Carolina, Baker 6 19:11 (EN). Penalties-Cosgrove Wor (delay of game), 5:39; Wardley Sc (high-sticking), 11:39.
Shots on Goal-South Carolina 18-9-9-36. Worcester 6-11-12-29.
Power Play Opportunities-South Carolina 1 / 3; Worcester 0 / 3.
Goalies-South Carolina, Stevenson 12-3-3-1 (29 shots-27 saves). Worcester, Moran 2-3-0-0 (35 shots-32 saves).
A-3,356
Referees-Nolan Bloyer (31), Steven Sailor (5).
Linesmen-Sam Schildkraut (46), Stephen Drain (52).
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