The Worcester Railers began a six-game, two-week road trip Monday night at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida in the first of three contests against the Solar Bears, and despite the warmer southern weather the Railers’ offense was as cold as it usually is in a 3-2 loss.
It would be easy to look at Worcester outshooting Orlando 35-25 and say it was Solar Bears’ goaltender Brandon Halverson that was the difference, but a deeper dive into those shots shows that of those listed as “quality shots”, the Railers edge isn’t quite so large, dropping to 14-11. When it comes to shots, how many isn’t as important as how high of a quality scoring chance they are. Wayne Gretzky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”, but what many misunderstand from that quote is Gretzky didn’t take many low-quality shots.
All goals are seemingly considered “high-quality” shots, even if they really aren’t, but Orlando’s first goal was absolutely a high-quality chance as they somehow managed a two-on-zero break into the Railers zone while Worcester was on the penalty kill. Put a checkmark in the “mistake ends up in the back of our net” column for that one. It’s happened so often this season we might need a second piece of paper to keep track.
Thirty-five seconds later Riley Pierce took advantage of a rare Halverson error and knotted the score 1-1.
For the last two seasons, the Railers have had issues in allowing quick goals after they’ve scored, and they did it again Monday night when 21 seconds after Piercey tied it Orlando retook the lead. It’s happened so often that the list has probably reached a third piece of paper.
The camera work in Orlando is terrible, almost as bad as it is in Reading, so it’s hard to see how badly Andrei Bakanov played that zone entry. It’s easy to see he turns the wrong way and has to chase goal scorer Jérémie Biakabutuka, but what he was doing before all of that to put himself in that poor position is a mystery.
You don’t usually see defensemen score the kind of goal Ryan Dickinson had in the second period, but it doesn’t matter who puts the puck in the net as long as it somehow gets there.
It was 2-2 entering the third period, in territorial advantage and shot totals the first half of the frame was all Worcester. Unfortunately, the scoreboard didn’t reflect that as the game remained tied. Turns out the Solar Bears were probably just waiting for another mistake to take advantage of. The Railers finally made one, and then it was 3-2 Orlando.
Despite trailing the Railers’ offense all but stopped at that point as they managed just a single shot, deemed “not quality” by the scorers, in the final 5:20 of action.
Worcester is now seven points ahead of the last-place Royals and Reading has a game in hand. They are also just six points behind second-place Norfolk. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say this trip could make or break the Railers’ season. Worcester gets a couple days to think about this loss as they don’t see action again until Thursday. The Solar Bears head three hours south Wednesday to take on the Florida Everblades before returning home to face the Railers.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were John Copeland (IR/unknown), Zsombor Garat (IR/unknown), Tristan Lennox (IR/lower body), Brendan Robbins, and Zach White. John Muse was the backup goaltender. Once again Worcester has an available roster spot and, as he always has done in his tenure with the team, Railers General Manager Jordan Smotherman refuses to fill it.
With it being the first time the two clubs have net this season we’ll take a look at some roster and area connections. The only connection Orlando currently has to the Railers or the area is Tyler Bird was born in Boston. Former Railers netminder Colten Ellis has played for the Solar Bears this season, going 12-5-1 in 21 games. He’s currently under recall to the Springfield Thunderbirds. Steve Jandric, whose player rights Worcester traded to Orlando earlier this season when Springfield moved their ECHL affiliation to Orlando, left the Thunderbirds organization in mid-December to play for Lukko in Finland. Worcester is still owed “future considerations” for that trade. For the Railers, defenseman Christian Krygier was born in Orlando, and Anthony Repaci spent his rookie season in Orlando after the Railers were unable to take part in the 2020-21 season due to COVID restrictions.
Unofficially, this writer has the Railers with a 4-10-1-1 record when referee Trevor Wohlford works the game, and Worcester is winless in their last seven encounters with the ECHL referee. Officiating is not the primary reason the Railers lost Monday night, but referee Wohlford was absolutely pitiful throughout the contest, calling two completely phantom penalties early on against Worcester while missing high hits landed against Jack Quinlivan and Ryan Verrier. The hit on Verrier sent him to the dressing room, and I don’t believe he returned to action after that.
A scoring change from last Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Maine as the Railers’ fourth goal originally credited to Riley Piercey has been changed to Jake Pivonka. The goal now reads “3. WOR Pivonka, (12) (Piercey, Calder), 0:59”.
The three stars of the game were:
1. ORL – 18 Darik Angeli
2. ORL – 29 Mitchell Hoelscher
3. ORL – 31 Brandon Halverson
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Riley Piercey.
Even Strength Lines
Repaci / Jenkins / Callin
Piercey / Pivonka / Calder
Howdeshell / Cipollone / Quinlivan
Bakanov / X / Goehring
Cosgrove / Dickinson
Verrier / Kulakov
Welsh / Krygier
Our affiliates last night
No games scheduled
In the ECHL’s North Division
No other games scheduled
BOX SCORE
Worcester 1 1 0 – 2
Orlando 2 0 1 – 3
1st Period-1, Orlando, Angeli 3 (Hoelscher, Luchuk), 14:49 (PP). 2, Worcester, Piercey 4 (Calder, Pivonka), 15:24. 3, Orlando, Biakabutuka 4 (Bird, Hoelscher), 15:45. Penalties-Bent Orl (interference), 2:58; Welsh Wor (slashing), 13:41; Cipollone Wor (slashing), 18:43; Verrier Wor (high-sticking), 19:04.
2nd Period-4, Worcester, Dickinson 1 (Piercey), 13:49. Penalties-Cipollone Wor (fighting – major), 8:32; Kulakov Wor (roughing), 8:32; Bird Orl (double – roughing), 8:32; Boka Orl (fighting – major), 8:32; Bent Orl (hooking), 11:09; Dickinson Wor (tripping), 14:51; Krygier Wor (tripping), 17:20.
3rd Period-5, Orlando, Angeli 4 (Frye), 9:39. Penalties-Callin Wor (roughing), 2:43; Bent Orl (roughing), 2:43; Schachle Orl (high-sticking), 11:08; Low Orl (hooking), 19:59.
Shots on Goal-Worcester 6-15-14-35. Orlando 10-11-4-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 4; Orlando 1 / 5.
Goalies-Worcester, Ceci 1-2-0-0 (25 shots-22 saves). Orlando, Halverson 10-8-3-1 (35 shots-33 saves).
A-6,847
Referees-Trevor Wohlford (38).
Linesmen-Logan Berkowitz (68), Brady Fagan (89).
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