GLENS FALLS, NY -The Worcester Railers finished off their three-in-three weekend against the Adirondack Thunder with a Sunday matinee at the Harding Mazzotti Arena, and after one of the worst offensive periods in franchise history, suddenly snapped out of it and followed it with one of their best ever in an almost inexplicable 4-1 Railers victory.
One encounter can describe the entire game. After a first period that saw Worcester outshot 19-1 but only outscored 1-0, the second period had the Railers scoring two power play goals and their first shorthanded goal of the season to take a 3-1 lead. This writer was walking up the stairs from the restroom while broadcaster Tim Foley was making a mad dash in the opposite direction. He just stopped and shrugged his shoulders.
I said to him, “I no longer have any idea what’s going on.”
And it’s the truth. I’ve never seen a team recover from such a terrible period, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one collapse like the Thunder did. Because no matter how much better Worcester played, they couldn’t have done it without some help from Adirondack.
The first frame was played almost entirely in the Railers’ end, and how could it not be, being outshot by 18 in one period, but goaltender Parker Gahagen was up to the challenge, stopping 18 of the 19 Thunder shots he faced. And he faced more than he needed, not just because of Worcester’s poor performance, but also because referees Brendan Schreider and Evan Reddick might have had a worse period than the Railers.
After a high hit on Cole Donhauser by Jacob Graves went uncalled, Donhauser was slow to get up and went toward the Railers’ bench. On his way, he was intercepted by Graves heading to the Thunder bench. Donhauser hit Graves with a run-of-the-mill cross-check, which the bafoons in stripes decided to call. Donhauaser then slowly went to the Worcester bench as the play continued. Chase McLane then left the Adirondack bench and immediately went after Donhauser, literally stepping onto the Railers bench.
Referees Schreider and Reddick, showing total bafoonery, called Donhauser for a major and game misconduct, but penalized McLane just two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. The ECHL rulebook is very clear; it’s a minor penalty and game misconduct to leave the bench to start an altercation. But unless the Railers can convince the ECHL that their referees were completely incompetent in the play–as if the video evidence wouldn’t be enough on its own–Donhauser will be the only one facing supplementary discipline.
After killing both a four-on-three power play and a three-minute major, Grant Loven finally broke through and beat Gahagen to take a 1-0 lead at 17:29.
In the second period, the completely uninjured Graves was serving the extra of a double minor when teammate Pierson Brandon took the automatic delay of game penalty for firing the puck out of play in the defensive end. Worcester head coach Nick Tuzzolino decided that was a great spot to use his timeout, and he was proven correct when Anthony Repaci tied the game with a power play goal at 3:58. The Callin brothers both assisted on the play.
Later in the frame, Ryan Wheeler got a double-minor for drawing Drew Callin’s blood on a high stick, and newcomer Gleb Veremyev scored his first Railers goal as Worcester took a 2-1 lead. The elder Callin and Repaci had the helpers at 9:15.
It’s sometimes hard to notice a team has too many skaters based on where they are on the ice and who is coming and going, but the linesmen had no issues noting Worcester had seven skaters on the ice as the Railers took a minor for the Roy Sommer line change. The Railers don’t score many shorthanded goals, but Lincoln Hatten flipped that tally to one with some help from Matt DeMelis at 16:58.
Early in the third, Worcester found itself back on the power play, and Hatten grabbed a back-breaking goal at 2:02 that all but took the air out of Adirondack’s sails.
From there, Worcester played mostly defense, blocking many shots before they could reach Gahagen. By the time the final horn sounded, Gahagen had 36 saves and probably clinched the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Week Award.
Unless those bafoon referees get to decide, in which case it might be some goalie who allowed eight goals over the weekend.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were MacAuley Carson (3-day IR), Max Dorrington (suspended, game 3 of 4), Tristan Lennox (14-day IR/Lower body), Porter Schachle (14-day IR/Unknown), Tanner Shachle, and TJ Walsh (14-day IR/Upper body). Thomas Gale was the backup goaltender.
The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – #35 Parker Gahagen
2. WOR – #11 Lincoln Hatten
3. WOR – #81 Anthony Repaci
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Drew Callin.
Even Strength Lines
Repaci / Miotto / Mitton
Piercey / D.Callin / A.Callin
Donhauser / DeMelis / Hatten
Ginnell / – / Veremyev
Hora / Ferrandino
Stief / Samuelsson
McDonald / Suda
Dowler
Press Releases
RAILERS: Special teams power Railers to 4-1 win in Glens Falls
THUNDER: Railers special teams haunt Thunder in 4-1 loss
Our affiliates last night
(Sunday)
Washington 4, NY Islanders 1
In the ECHL’s North Division last night
(Sunday)
Trois-Rivières 4, Reading 1
Cincinnati 2, Wheeling 1 OT
BOX SCORE
Worcester 0 3 1 – 4
Adirondack 1 0 0 – 1
1st Period-1, Adirondack, Loven 2 (Hanzel, McManus), 17:29. Penalties-Miotto Wor (tripping), 10:31; Donhauser Wor (cross-checking major, game misconduct – cross-checking), 11:29; McLane Adk (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:29.
2nd Period-2, Worcester, Repaci 5 (Callin, Callin), 3:58 (PP). 3, Worcester, Veremyev 1 (Callin, Repaci), 9:15 (PP). 4, Worcester, Hatten 6 (DeMelis), 16:58 (SH). Penalties-Veremyev Wor (roughing), 2:40; Graves Adk (double – roughing, misconduct), 2:40; Brandon Adk (delay of game), 2:44; Wheeler Adk (high-sticking – double), 7:56; Miotto Wor (bench – too many men), 16:41.
3rd Period-5, Worcester, Hatten 7 (Miotto, Suda), 2:02 (PP). Penalties-Taylor Adk (tripping), 0:40.
Shots on Goal-Worcester 1-15-7-23. Adirondack 19-7-11-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 3 / 5; Adirondack 0 / 3.
Goalies-Worcester, Gahagen 2-0-1-0 (37 shots-36 saves). Adirondack, Brodeur 4-3-1-0 (23 shots-19 saves).
A-3,692
Referees-Brendan Schreider (12), Evan Reddick (21).
Linesmen-Jack McQuesten (53), Noah Merrow (57).
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