SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks Sink Admirals, 4-3

The Worcester Sharks got goals from four different players and a multiple point game from Benn Ferriero to defeat the Norfolk Admirals 4-3 in a penalty filled contest Sunday afternoon at the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts in front of 2,248 fans.

After losing both games in Norfolk last weekend the WorSharks were looking to send a message that they wouldn’t be pushed around in their own building. They did just that, but a lucky bounce for Norfolk would get the Admirals on the board first. With Norfolk controlling the puck along the perimeter of the Worcester zone and the WorSharks doing a decent job of preventing any good shooting lanes Admirals forward Mark-Antoine Pouliot fired a hard wrist shot on net with left winger Johan Harju trying to set a screen in front of WorSharks goaltender Alex Stalock. Stalock had a bead on the shot, but the puck hit Harju and bounded into the net at 17:41 of the first.

Worcester continued to press and their hard work paid off as the clock wound down on the first period when Matt Irwin fired a lazy wrister from the left point toward the far post. Norfolk netminder Cedrick Desjardins made the easy kick save of the shot, but the rebound went right to the tape of Ferriero on the right wing side. Ferriero wasted no time firing the puck back on net with Desjardins down and out, and his shot lit the lamp with just 12.2 seconds remaining in the period. Jonathan Cheechoo had the second assist on the play.

The WorSharks were hoping to carry that momentum into the second period, but a slashing minor to Dan DaSilva 33 seconds into the stanza stopped Worcester in its tracks. But only for a few seconds. While killing the minor penalty Andrew Desjardins, no relation to the Norfolk netminder, stole the puck at the right wing boards and skated in unmolested. Cedrick Desjardins made the save, but the puck bounced away from the Norfolk defenders and end ended up in the right corner, where Ferriero collected it and fired a bad angle shot back at the net. Cedrick Desjardins again made the save but the rebound was collected by Andrew Desjardins, who fired it back off the far post and into the net for the shorthanded tally 50 seconds into the period.

Not to soon after Worcester almost made it 3-1 after some great tic-tac-toe passing between Cheechoo and Ferriero resulted in a Cheechoo tip on net that hung on the goal line and just out of reach of any Worcester player. Norfolk cleared the puck away to remove the threat.

One thing that has worked worked all season for Worcester is the power play, and Sunday was no exception. With Pierre-Cedric Labrie sitting in the box for boarding the WorSharks continued their patient play with the man advantage. After a Ferriero pass to Justin Braun at the point, Braun found himself with a great shooting lane and let a booming slapshot fly at the net. Desjardins was there to make the save, but the rebound went right to James Marcou standing all alone at the far post. Marcou banged home the rebound into the yawning net for the two goal lead at 12:10 of the second.

With Worcester entering the third period leading 3-1 and playing what might have been their best hockey of the season, it seemed as if the only thing that might prevent the WorSharks from winning was if they fell asleep at the wheel. And unfortunately, they did.

After a shift where it looked like Worcester was skating through mud, Norfolk forward Blair Jones picked up a loose puck and went toward the net, where WorSharks captain Jay Leach forced him wide and around the net. His defensive partner Braun also had his man covered, but unfortunately Steven Zalewski didn’t back check and Jones’ pass found Harju all alone in front to make it 3-2 at 3:54 of the third. Just 36 seconds later Norfolk would tie the game when Paul Szczechura fed former WorSharks forward Matt Fornataro at the goal mouth. Stalock had no chance on the tip in.

Things looked even bleaker for Worcester when Stalock was called for a slashing minor, but just as the minor was expiring Tommy Wingels threw a huge open ice hit on Norfolk defender Troy Milam just in front of the Worcester bench. Wingles jumped back to his feet and grabbed the loose puck, breaking into the Admirals zone two on one with Kevin Henderson. Wingles held the puck until the very last second, and then fired a wrist shot to the glove side that lit the lamp for the unassisted game winner at 14:24.

GAME NOTES
Head coach Roy Sommer went with the same line-up as Saturday night with one exception, with Matt Irwin taking Nick Schaus’ place on the blue line. Sommer did juggle his lines a bit, and was forced to make changes on the fly when forward Dan DaSilva was unavailable for the third period.

Sunday’s game was the first one for the WorSharks using the two referee system, which the AHL says will be used in 25% of regular season games. The two referees for the game were David Banfield and Mark Lemelin. There were 17 penalties called between the two refs that resulted in 11 power play chances. It was, however, the same old song and dance late in the contest as neither official seemed interested in calling anything. If this game was any sort of real example of what we can expect with the two ref system in the AHL, count this writer as not a fan.

Using four forwards on the power play isn’t all that rare anymore in hockey, but having a player take the draw and then play defense most certainly is. On Worcester’s first power play line Benn Ferriero takes the draws and Jonathan Cheechoo lines up at defense, and then at the first possible chance they switch and Cheechoo plays forward and Ferriero moves to a spot on the point. Based on how well the WorSharks power play is working it sure looks like a success.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 17 Tommy Wingels (gwg)
2. WOR – 21 Benn Ferriero (g,2a)
3. NOR – 90 Johan Harju (2g)

The Sharkspage player of the game is Andrew Desjardins.

Even strength lines
Cheechoo/Ferriero/Trevelyan
Mashinter/Desjardins/Marcou
Henderson/Zalewski/DaSilva(Wingels)
Hunt/Quirk/Wingels(Cheechoo)

Braun/Leach
Irwin/Sullivan
Petrecki/Loprieno

Penalty kill lines
Desjardins(DaSilva)/Ferriero
Wingles/Henderson(DaSilva)
Quirk/Hunt

Braun/Leach(Petrecki)
Loprieno(Petrecki)/Sullivan

Power play lines
Trevelyan/Ferriero/Marcou
DaSilva/Zalewski/Mashinter

Cheechoo/Braun
Irwin/Sullivan

BOXSCORE
Norfolk 1 0 2 – 3
Worcester 1 2 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Norfolk, Harju 3 (Pouliot, Barberio), 17:41. 2, Worcester, Ferriero 5 (Cheechoo, Irwin), 19:47. Penalties-Henderson Wor (boarding), 0:10; Gudas Nor (interference), 2:55; Loprieno Wor (hooking), 6:08; Braun Wor (hooking), 9:32.

2nd Period-3, Worcester, Desjardins 1 (Ferriero), 0:50 (SH). 4, Worcester, Marcou 3 (Braun, Ferriero), 12:10 (PP). Penalties-DaSilva Wor (slashing), 0:33; Desjardins Wor (hooking), 3:33; served by Mashinter Wor (bench minor – too many men), 6:42; Szczechura Nor (slashing), 8:26; Berry Nor (roughing), 11:40; Labrie Nor (boarding, fighting), 11:40; Hunt Wor (roughing), 11:40; Petrecki Wor (fighting), 11:40; Jones Nor (roughing), 14:25; Loprieno Wor (roughing), 14:25; Angelidis Nor (interference), 17:59.

3rd Period-5, Norfolk, Harju 4 (Jones, Wright), 3:54. 6, Norfolk, Fornataro 2 (Szczechura, Wright), 4:30. 7, Worcester, Wingels 1   14:24. Penalties-Stalock Wor (slashing), 12:21.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 10-12-11-33. Worcester 4-15-11-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 7; Worcester 1 / 4.
Goalies-Norfolk, Desjardins 2-2-0 (30 shots-26 saves). Worcester, Stalock 2-3-1 (33 shots-30 saves).
A-2,248
Referees-David Banfield (44), Mark Lemelin (84). Linesmen-Todd Whittemore (70), Bob Bernard (42).