SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks Fail Again In Third Period, Lose 5-2 To Pirates

The Worcester Sharks couldn’t hold on to a couple of one goal leads and then had their usual terrible third period where they gave up three goals on their way to a 5-2 loss to the Portland Pirates Friday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine in front of a crowd of 3,639 fans. And to add injury to insult Worcester may have lost center Cory Quirk for an extended period of time after the diminutive forward was checked in the head in the third period.

Worcester would grab the first goal of the game when T.J. Trevelyan skated down the right wing side and fired a hard wrist shot from the low circle that beat Pirates goaltender David Leggio to the glove side at 4:38 of the opening period for his second goal in as many games. After going pointless in his first stint with Worcester defenseman Jody Pederson would notch his third point in two games since being re-signed with the lone assist on the tally.

Derek Whitmore tied the game for Portland at 8:28 when he chipped a loose puck in the slot past WorSharks netminder Carter Hutton while four Worcester players stood there apparently forgetting they were supposed to play some sort of defense. Luckily for Worcester their fourth line remembered they were playing hockey and grabbed the lead back just 28 seconds later when Frazer McLaren connected from with a laser from the left wing circle about 20 feet out and over Leggio. Quirk and Jay Leach would have the assists on McLaren’s first goal since last season on March 27. That goal for McLaren was a game winner. Unfortunately for Worcester this goal wasn’t.

The WorSharks would cough up their second lead of the game at 15:56 of the middle period when former Worcester enforcer and current Pirates first line left winger Dennis McCauley tipped a centering pass by WorSharks killer Mark Mancari past Hutton. But despite being outshot 24-14 and not playing particularly well the WorSharks still found themselves even after two and with a chance to grab the two points with solid play in the third period. That didn’t happen.

Brian Roloff gave Portland a lead they would not relinquish at 2:55 of the period when he was standing all alone at the far post and tipped a feed from Maxime Legault past Hutton. In the five minute power play the resulted from Conboy’s hit on Quirk Worcester would get just six shoots on Leggio, with the goaltender hardly needing to strain himself on the save attempts. After the major Worcester would not have another shot on goal in the contest.

Igor Gongalsky would ice it for the Pirates at 15:21 off a rebound, and Mancari would bang home an empty netter with a minute remaining for the 5-2 final. The two teams play again Sunday afternoon.

GAME NOTES
The WorSharks went with the same line-up as Wednesday, with the lone exception being Carter Hutton was the staring netminder.

Worcester has surrendered 57 third period goals and has a goal differential in the period of minus 22, both are the worst in the AHL.

The three stars of the game were
1. POR – 25 Mark Mancari (g,2a)
2. POR – 21 Derek Whitmore (g,a)
3. POR – 44 Drew Schiestel (a,+3)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Frazer McLaren.

Even strength lines
Cheechoo/Trevelyan/MacIntyre
Mashinter/Zalewski/Wingles
Henderson/Desjardins/DaSilva
McLaren/Quirk/Del Monte

Irwin/Braun
Leach/Schaus
Loprieno/Pederson

Penalty kill lines
Desjardins/Henderson(DaSilva)
Quirk/McLaren

Irwin/Braun
Leach/Schaus

Power play lines
Cheechoo/Trevelyan/MacIntyre
Mashinter/Zalewski/Wingles

Irwin/Braun
Pederson/Schaus

BOXSCORE
Worcester 2 0 0 – 2
Portland 1 1 3 – 5

1st Period-1, Worcester, Trevelyan 10 (Pederson), 4:38. 2, Portland, Whitmore 16 (Adam, Mancari), 8:28. 3, Worcester, McLaren 1 (Quirk, Leach), 8:56. Penalties-Crawford Por (hooking), 18:00.

2nd Period-4, Portland, McCauley 8 (Mancari, Schiestel), 15:26. Penalties-Gongalsky Por (interference), 4:42; Cheechoo Wor (holding), 16:03.

3rd Period-5, Portland, Roloff 2 (Legault, Whitmore), 2:55. 6, Portland, Gongalsky 3 (Legault, Biega), 15:21. 7, Portland, Mancari 20 (Stuart, Byron), 19:00 (EN). Penalties-McLaren Wor (fighting), 6:56; Conboy Por (fighting, major – checking to the head, game misconduct – checking to the head), 6:56; Leach Wor (hooking), 12:22.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 7-7-8-22. Portland 10-14-11-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0/3; Portland 0/2.
Goalies-Worcester, Hutton 3-3-2 (34 shots-30 saves). Portland, Leggio 12-4-0 (22 shots-20 saves).
A-3,639
Referee-Terry Koharski (10). Linesmen-Joe Andrews (32), Jeremy Lovett (78).