For the third time in as many nights the Worcester Railers hosted the Norfolk Admirals at the DCU Center, and using the same lineup as Friday night’s exciting 6-5 overtime win the Railers managed to play a game almost as exciting on Saturday and used goals by Matt DeMelis and Anthony Callin, along with 27 saves from Michael Bullion to defeat Norfolk 2-1 and take four of a possible six points for the weekend.
With Bullion and Thomas Milic combining to allow 11 goals Friday night, it was a bit of a surprise to see them both back between the pipes on Saturday as each team had a competent backup available. However, both Nick Tuzzolino and Jeff Carr went right back with their starters, and each was proven right as Bullion and Milic were nothing short of fantastic.
But Bullion was just a little bit better.
For the first time in the weekend series, it was Worcester who got on the board first when the Railers pounced on a loose puck as it went Anthony Repaci to Tyler Kobryn to DeMelis for the goal and a 1-0 lead 9:56 into the first period.
Callin made it 2-0 Worcester at 15:49 of the middle frame after picking up another loose puck, this one after a face-off deep in the Norfolk end. Matthew Kopperud and Griffin Loughran had the helpers on the play.
Meanwhile, Bullion was in the zone, and it looked like the only way the Admirals would beat him was if they got a lucky bounce or of the Railers made a mental mistake. Oddly enough, both things happened, only the mental mistake was made by Worcester head coach Tuzzolino, who sent four forwards out on a power play chance while holding a 2-0 third-period lead against a team that had shown some prowess in attacking while shorthanded. And attack they did, and Sean Montgomery converted on an unassisted three-zone breakaway to make it 2-1 at 8:28.
To say the Railers survived the rest of that power play wouldn’t be overstating it.
But Bullion was up to the task the rest of the way, and Norfolk head coach Carr made a mental mistake of his own by not pulling Milic for the extra attacker until there was less than 45 seconds on the clock. Bullion had to make two saves after that, one easy and one not-so-easy. And once the horn sounded Worcester had two more points.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were Alec Cicero, Kabore Dunn (3-day IR), Riley Ginnell, Anthony Hora (IR/unknown), Kolby Johnson (IR/upper body), Tanner Schachle (IR/unknown), and Matt Ustaski (IR/unknown). Hugo Ollas was the backup goaltender.
In other hockey news in the city, Holy Cross College swept Army in the Atlantic Hockey America conference semi-finals, and they will now face Bentley in a one-game, winner-takes-all championship game next Saturday, the 22nd, at the Hart Center on the Holy Cross campus. The winner of that game gets an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Championship. The top-seeded Crusaders faced Bentley three times this season, sweeping the two games in Waltham, 3-2 (OT) and 5-1, and losing their matchup on the hill 3-0. The championship game time is currently unannounced, but it’s expected to be 7pm.
There was a very interesting line in the transactions posted by the ECHL Saturday night, with the Cincinnati Cyclones voiding a trade where they acquired Patrick Polino from the Rapid City Rush on Friday. Also listed was the Rapid City suspension of Polino. The Rush had acquired Polino from the Allen Americans on Wednesday and then sent him off to Cincinnati for “future considerations”. It seems Polino, who spent most of the previous three seasons with the Cyclones before floating around the ECHL this year, decided that was enough in The Queen City and chose not to report. Hopefully, being able to void trades will become a rule in the ECHL, especially considering how many times the Railers have been bitten in the behind by players not reporting after the player they sent away already arrived in their new city.
The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – Michael Bullion (#32)
2. WOR – Anthony Callin (#44)
3. WOR – Matt DeMelis (#37)
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Tyler Kobryn.
Even Strength Lines
Kopperud / Callin / Loughran
Kobryn / DeMelis / Repaci
Donhauser / Kaplan / Hatten
Mahshie / Dudek / Piercey
Welsh / Walton
Luce / Klee
Rajaniemi / Dickinson
Press Releases
RAILERS: Railers Take Weekend Series With 2-1 Win Over Admirals
ADMIRALS: Admirals Fall In Regular Season Finale To Worcester
Our affiliates last night
Belleville 6, Bridgeport 1
In the ECHL’s North Division last night
Reading 2, Trois-Rivieres 1
Adirondack 5, Maine 4 OT
Fort Wayne 5, Wheeling 3
BOX SCORE
Norfolk 0 0 1 – 1
Worcester 1 1 0 – 2
1st Period-1, Worcester, DeMelis 8 (Kobryn, Repaci), 9:56. Penalties-Loughran Wor (slashing), 11:08; Hebert Nor (high-sticking), 16:43.
2nd Period-2, Worcester, Callin 19 (Kopperud, Loughran), 15:49. Penalties-Loughran Wor (slashing), 6:38; Hatten Wor (slashing), 10:53.
3rd Period-3, Norfolk, Montgomery 13 8:28 (SH). Penalties-Loughran Wor (slashing), 5:30; Sward Nor (tripping), 8:17.
Shots on Goal-Norfolk 10-10-8-28. Worcester 11-11-5-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 4; Worcester 0 / 2.
Goalies-Norfolk, Milic 8-5-1-0 (27 shots-25 saves). Worcester, Bullion 13-13-0-2 (28 shots-27 saves).
A-4,672
Referees-Logan Gruhl (29), Austin O’Rourke (10).
Linesmen-Matthew Heinen (93), Jack McQuesten (53).
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