The Worcester Railers took on the Norfolk Admirals Sunday afternoon at the Norfolk Scope in the rubber match between the two ECHL North Division rivals and Worcester squandered many opportunities to score in a 4-2 loss.
The Railers got on the board first with Cole Crowder sitting in the penalty box serving a holding minor when Jack Randle beat Norfolk netminder Joe Cannata with a wicked wrist shot at 13:31.
Just 34 seconds later Carson Golder connected on that same Norfolk power play to make it 1-1.
Near the end of the opening period, tempers were flaring and Worcester ended up with a major power play when Stepan Timofeyev decided to fight Ryan Dickinson, who could only turtle to avoid being injured. Dickinson was unpenalized, and Timofeyev received a major and game misconduct.
The Railers couldn’t connect on that power play that straddled the first intermission, and Norfolk took advantage of the momentum they gained with the kill by scoring twice, with Sean Montgomery beating Henrik Tikkanen at 7:49 and Connor Fedorek following at 11:23.
Connor Welsh was able to stop the bleeding with a power play goal at 13:30.
At posting time Matt Kopperud is listed with the only assist on the goal. but as the video clearly shows it was Randl with the primary assist.
Worcester would have tons of opportunities to get the score back to even, including having a power play with two minutes to go in regulation, but they couldn’t get another one past Cannata.
Brady Fleurent added an empty-net shorthanded goal with under ten seconds remaining for the 4-2 final.
Norfolk took five of a possible six points for the three-game series while the Railers managed just two. For a team that missed the playoffs the last two seasons by three points or loss series loses like this by the Railers have proven hard to overcome.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were Anthony Callin (3-day IR/lower body), Matt DeMelis (upper body), JD Dudek (IR/unknown injury), and Ryan Verrier. Michael Bullion was the backup goaltender.
There was a scoring change on Matthew Kopperud’s first-period goal on Friday, with Jordan Kaplan gaining an assist and Colin Jacobs losing one. That goal now reads “Kopperud, (3) (Kaplan, Gill), 16:22 (PP)”. Neither of the other two goals this writer thinks the scoring is wrong on were changed, costing at least two players an assist.
The three stars of the game were:
1. NOR – 14 Connor Fedorek
2. NOR – 19 Sean Montgomery
3. NOR – 15 Graham Sward
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Connor Welsh.
Even Strength Lines
Piercey / Kopperud / Repaci
Randl / Gill / Donhauser
Bakanov / Kaplan / Jacobs
Crowder / Loughran / Hatten
Luce / Welsh
McDonald / Klee
Rajaniemi / Dickinson
Our affiliates last night
NY Randers 5, NY Islanders 2
In the ECHL’s North Division last night
Maine 5, Reading 3
BOX SCORE
Worcester 1 1 0 – 2
Norfolk 1 2 1 – 4
1st Period-1, Worcester, Randl 2 (Donhauser, Dickinson), 13:31 (SH). 2, Norfolk, Golder 3 (Sward, Padakin), 14:05 (PP). Penalties-Crowder Wor (fighting – major), 2:47; Kennedy Nor (holding, fighting – major), 2:47; Donhauser Wor (hooking), 9:40; Crowder Wor (holding), 12:09; Rajaniemi Wor (double – roughing), 17:15; Smirnov Nor (cross-checking, roughing), 17:15; Timofeyev Nor (fighting – major, game misconduct – aggressor), 17:15.
2nd Period-3, Norfolk, Montgomery 2 (Musser, Sward), 7:49. 4, Norfolk, Fedorek 1 (Osmundson, Chyzowski), 11:23. 5, Worcester, Welsh 3 (Kopperud), 13:30 (PP). Penalties-Kennedy Nor (high-sticking), 4:34; Padakin Nor (slashing), 13:05.
3rd Period-6, Norfolk, Fleurent 3 19:52 (SH EN). Penalties-Luce Wor (cross-checking), 6:52; Padakin Nor (hooking), 17:57.
Shots on Goal-Worcester 8-6-7-21. Norfolk 11-7-9-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 5; Norfolk 1 / 3.
Goalies-Worcester, Tikkanen 1-2-0-0 (26 shots-23 saves). Norfolk, Cannata 1-0-0-0 (21 shots-19 saves).
A-3,224
Referees-Austin O’Rourke (10).
Linesmen-Mark Dungan (61), Evan Knox (83).
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