The Worcester Railers, wearing jerseys celebrating the AHL Sharks who played in the city for nine years, took on the Wheeling Nailers Saturday night at the DCU Center in the second of three meetings between the clubs this weekend where Worcester jumped out to a quick two goal lead only to watch it slowly disappear, needing Anthony Repaci’s overtime goal to take home two points in a 3-2 win.
It took just 43 seconds for the Railers to jump out in front as Cole Donhauser forced a turnover behind the Nailers net and fed Anthony Callin out front. Wheeling netminder Taylor Gauthier didn’t stand a chance, and it was 1-0.
At 4:14, Gabe Blanchard made it 2-0 with his first pro goal after taking Ryan Miotto’s faceoff win and blasting it past Gauthier.
It was Blanchard’s first goal at any level since March 3, 2023, when he had a goal and two assists for UMass-Lowell in their 3-1 win against Northeastern. Railers forward Matt DeMelis appeared in the game for the Huskies.
With the 2-0 lead, Worcester decided to look for some payback for Aidan Sutter’s cheap shot interference minor late in Friday’s game, and it was Riley Piercey issuing the challenge three seconds after the Blanchard tally. It may not have been a pretty fight, but it was all Piercey as the message was delivered.
Unfortunately, that was all the cheering the 6,337 would get to do for quite a long while.
Wheeling is a pretty good team, and they did what all good teams do when trailing by a couple of goals in the first period: they kept playing their game. There was no panic, there were no big changes; they just had confidence their play would get them back into the game. And, eventually, it did.
The Railers power play struggled all night, and the one they had with just over five minutes in the middle period was so poorly executed that it was one of those “well, at least don’t give up a shortie here”. Only, that’s exactly what they did at 14:56 when Nailers captain Matthew Quercia capped off a two-on-one shorthanded rush by beating Worcester goaltender Tristan Lennox.
Entering the third period, everyone in the building knew the next goal would be huge, and 7:30 into the frame, Brent Johnson, who scribe Bill Ballou likes to mention is no relation to the former IceCats goaltender of the same name, knotted the score 2-2 when he fired a shot on goal and past a screened Lennox. The big issue on the play was that the player screening Lennox was defenseman Calle Odelius, who literally positioned himself between the shooter and Lennox, but then made absolutely no effort to block the shot.
The Railers had a golden opportunity to put the game away at 13:27 when referee Dominic Cadieux called Bogdans Hodass for an intent-to-injure match penalty for a cross-check to the facial area of Drew Callin. Referee Cadieux called it high-sticking, a meaningless difference. The ensuing major power play was, well, best described as “at least they didn’t give up another shorthanded goal”.
The writer rewatched the video of the action several times and wouldn’t be shocked if that penalty is rescinded. It’s the ECHL, so anything is possible, but if that penalty were reviewable, it might not have been a match called against him. Now watch it be something like five games, because, you know, it’s the ECHL.
The teams eventually went to overtime, and for as good as Wheeling is, there is literally no explanation as to why a well-known goal scorer like Rapaci can be left this wide open in front of the net. But the Railers will take it, and the extra point for the goal.
GAME NOTES
Scratches for the Railers were MacAuley Carson, Connor Federkow, Michael Ferrandino (14-day IR/Unknown), Thomas Gale, Hunter Hall (3-day IR), Anthony Hora (14-day IR/Lower body), and Ross Mitton (14-day IR/Upper body). Parker Gahagen was the backup goaltender.
I was asked a few times Saturday night what my favorite WorSharks memory was, and it’s a very easy reply. It was when Marley “Mo” Sommer sang the national anthem. I wrote about it on the fifth anniversary, and there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. It still is, for my money, the greatest moment in Worcester hockey history. Because it’s always been about family.
With it being Worcester Sharks night, three former players were in attendance, with Brad Staubitz, Ashton Rome, and Marc Busenburg all taking part in the ceremonial opening puck drop and signing autographs during the first intermission. After the puck drop, there was a moment of silence for three major members of WorSharks history who have passed away: Tom Cavanagh, Wayne Thomas, and Eric Lindquist. Just after the doors opened, there was a small ceremony at center ice for Lindquist, featuring a framed jersey dedicated to the former WorSharks and Railers broadcaster that usually hangs in the press room.
In the high school opener, Wachusett beat Auburn 7-3, for what this writer was told was the fourth consecutive win for the Mountaineers over the Rockets in games at the DCU Center. That’s not something we keep track of, so we’ll take their word for it. Wachusett scored four goals in the opening 8:11 of the first period, and that’s all she wrote for Auburn. Ryan Flaherty and Cody Penniman each scored twice for the Mountaineers, while Brayden Allaire, Matthew Brousseau, and Erik Nordahl had a goal each. Jason Romani had two goals for the Rockets, and Daniel Miedona chipped in one. Kevin Shaw earned the win making 14 saves on 17 shots. Colin Gaston and Kellen Looney combined for 19 saves on 26 shots for Auburn.
It seems like this subject comes up each time it happens, and it did once again as the Railers were decked out in WorSharks jerseys and pants while goaltender Tristan Lennox was still in his Islanders pants. Goaltenders are given wide latitude when it comes to the pants they wear, with it essentially being that if the pants are legal to wear, goalies can wear them even if they aren’t the same style the rest of the team is wearing. I didn’t check, but my guess is Gahagen was still using his Islanders pants while being the backup. So, in other words, nothing really to see here.
As we’ve done all season, we’re keeping track of what we’re calling “trash points”, which are points that the Railers fail to gain that they should have or points they give away to a divisional opponent. Technically, by allowing Wheeling to get the game into overtime, they gave away a point, but the Nailers are so far in front of Worcester that if that point comes into play, odds are long it wouldn’t matter for a spot in the playoffs.
I made a mistake in the game post for Friday’s win because I was distracted by a sore knee. I had promised Heather Madison, headmistress of my Disney travel group, a mention because she made a funny joke at the Booster Club table as she was hosting several raffles Friday night. After the joke, I told her she’d earned a plus-one for the day, but I quickly decided it was a plus-two because I still had a lot to hand out. She jested that she wanted a mention in the blog, and I forgot. Now, as I type this late Saturday morning, I’ve also forgotten the joke. I was also going to mention Big Tony finally won the 50/50 raffle after years of trying, but I forgot about that, too. So, a total failure on my part here in the notes section.
The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – #81 Anthony Repaci
2. WOR – #88 Gabe Blanchard
3. WHL – #22 Matthew Quercia
The 210Sports Player of the Game was Riley Piercey.
Even Strength Lines
Repaci / Miotto / Hatten
Donhauser / A.Callin / D.Callin
Piercey / DeMelis / Susuyev
Ginnell / Dorrington / Acosta
Pulkkinen / Samuelsson
McDonald / Suda
Odelius / Blanchard
Press Releases
RAILERS: Nailers need bigger boat in 3-2 Sharks overtime win
NAILERS: Roller coaster ride goes to Railers in overtime
Our affiliates last night
Lehigh Valley 5, Bridgeport 3
Nashville 4, NY Islanders 3
In the ECHL’s North Division last night
Maine 6, Adirondack 3
Reading 2, Greensboro 1
Trois-Rivières 6, Norfolk 3
BOX SCORE
Wheeling 0 1 1 0 – 2
Worcester 2 0 0 1 – 3
1st Period-1, Worcester, Callin 13 (Donhauser), 0:43. 2, Worcester, Blanchard 1 (Miotto), 4:14. Penalties-Sutter Whl (fighting – major), 4:17; Piercey Wor (fighting – major), 4:17; served by Susuyev Wor (bench – too many men), 6:18; Donhauser Wor (delay of game), 7:29; Thompson Whl (slashing), 10:29.
2nd Period-3, Wheeling, Quercia 8 (Hodass), 14:56 (SH). Penalties-Graham Whl (slashing), 13:05; Andrew Whl (tripping), 15:58.
3rd Period-4, Wheeling, Johnson 7 (Thompson, Quercia), 7:30. Penalties-Hodass Whl (match – high-sticking), 13:27.
1st OT Period-5, Worcester, Repaci 13 (Suda), 2:31. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Wheeling 4-12-7-1-24. Worcester 11-8-10-2-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Wheeling 0 / 2; Worcester 0 / 4.
Goalies-Wheeling, Gauthier 7-3-1-1 (31 shots-28 saves). Worcester, Lennox 4-9-0-0 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-6,337
Referees-Dominic Cadieux (3), -.
Linesmen-Jack McQuesten (53), Stephen Drain (52).
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