SHARKSPAGE

Stalock, WorSharks Defeat Providence 4-1

The Worcester Sharks drove an hour down Route 146 to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on Black Friday and got goals from four different players to go along with another great goaltending performance from Alex Stalock to defeat the Providence Bruins 4-1 in front of a crowd announced at 6,309.

Jonathan Cheechoo would put the WorSharks on the board first at 11:16 of the opening period when he tried to bang home a rebound of T.J. Trevelyan’s shot from the right wing circle. Trevelyan’s shot was saved by P-Bruins netminder Michael Hutchinson, and the rebound went right to Cheechoo in the low slot just outside the crease. Cheechoo flipped the puck on net, but Hutchinson was able to get a piece of the shot and the puck deflected high into the air above the crease. As several P-bruins players dove toward the net to knock the puck away it landed just over the goal line for the 1-0 WorSharks lead. Tommy Wingles had the other assist on the goal.

Nick Petrecki would make it 2-0 Worcester at 13:47 with his third of the season after taking an Andrew Desjardins feed and firing a wrist shot through traffic from just above the right face-off circle that banked off Hutchinson and went in. With Providence scrambling to get the puck out of their zone Sean Sullivan blocked a clearing attempt and threw the puck up to an uncovered Desjardins. The alert center of the Crazed Rats line saw Petrecki all alone and fed him a nice pass for the scoring attempt. The tally ties Petrecki for the team lead in game winners, ironically with the players who assisted on the goal, Desjardins and Sullivan.

After a scoreless second period Worcester, already being outshot 26-16 after two periods, would get just three shots in the finals 20 minutes. But they would make the most of those three, nabbing two goals against their division rivals. The first came from an unassisted goal from Trevelyan, who stole the puck away from a P-Bruins defenseman and snapped a 45 foot shot on Hutchinson that ate the netminder up and lit the lamp to make it 3-0. The second was from Dan DaSilva, who notched his third goal in as many games when he took a Desjardins feed and fired a shot over Hutchinson and just under the crossbar at 11:21.

Sandwiched between the two WorSharks third period goals Providence would grab their lone tally of the game at 9:36 when Jamie Arniel, in the corner to the left of the Worcester net, found Jeremy Reich all alone in the slot for a one timer that Stalock had no chance on. Despite being down three goals Providence would pull Hutchinson with Mike Moore in the box for tripping, but the WorSharks played solid defense while down six skaters to four as time ticked away for another Worcester victory.

GAME NOTES
The WorSharks had two additions to the injury list, with Carter Hutton (groin) and Frazer McLaren (lower body) joining Tony Lucia (concussion) and Cam MacIntyre (groin). With Hutton unavailable the  WorSharks have once again called upon Riley Gill to be their backup goaltender, signing the rookie to his second PTO of the season. Gill is 4-2-0 with a 2.50 goal against average and a .917 save percentage in six ECHL games with the Victoria Salmon Kings and Kalamazoo Wings. Prior to the start of Friday night’s game Benn Ferriero was recalled to San Jose, leaving Worcester with just 10 healthy forwards, so WorSharks head coach Roy Sommer had defenseman Joe Loprieno line up at forward for the first time in his pro career. Worcester used just 17 skaters, one under the 18 allowed.

After the game the WorSharks signed Jason Pitton and Jim McKenzie, both from the Stockton Thunder (ECHL) to PTOs.

In a case of “it’s not how many, but when”, the WorSharks have been outshot 109-67 in their last three games and in eight of their last nine periods, but have outscored their opponents 11-6 and have come away with the maximum six points.

The game used the two referee system, and despite this writer not being a fan of it at the AHL level the WorSharks certainly are as their record improved to 6-0-0-0 all-time when there are two penalty callers on the ice.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 24 T.J. Trevelyan (g,a)
2. WOR – 32 Alex Stalock (35 saves)
3. WOR – 22 Andrew Desjardins (2a,+3)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Dan DaSilva

BOXSCORE
Worcester 2 0 2 – 4
Providence 0 0 1 – 1

1st Period-1, Worcester, Cheechoo 6 (Trevelyan, Wingels), 11:16. 2, Worcester, Petrecki 3 (Desjardins, Henderson), 13:47. Penalties-No Penalties

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Loprieno Wor (roughing), 7:46; Knackstedt Pro (roughing), 7:46; Roussel Pro (tripping), 11:08; Petrecki Wor (fighting), 19:53; McIver Pro (fighting), 19:53.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Trevelyan 2   5:20. 4, Providence, Reich 5 (Arniel), 9:36. 5, Worcester, DaSilva 4 (Desjardins), 11:21. Penalties-Cheechoo Wor (tripping), 6:19; Mashinter Wor (slashing), 9:08; Colborne Pro (slashing), 9:08; Penner Pro (interference), 12:00; Wingels Wor (roughing), 15:31; Ling Pro (roughing, holding), 15:31; Moore Wor (tripping), 17:52.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 10-6-3-19. Providence 12-14-10-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/3; Providence 0/2.
Goalies-Worcester, Stalock 9-6-1 (36 shots-35 saves). Providence, Hutchinson 6-3-0 (19 shots-15 saves).
A-6,309
Referees-David Banfield (44), Ian Croft (87). Linesmen-Scott Whittemore (96), Bob Paquette (18).