SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks are turning into road warriors with 2-1 win over Springfield

The Worcester Sharks continued their season long seven game road trip with a quick trip an hour west down the Mass Pike and grabbed another two points after defeating the Springfield Falcons 2-1 at the MassMutual Center Tuesday night in Springfield, Massachusetts in front of an intimate crowd of 2165.

The WorSharks picked up where they left off in St John’s and came flying out of the gate and really took the play to the Falcons. Early in the period Worcester had no problem getting the puck past Springfield netminder Manny Legace, but they couldn’t light the lamp as Curt Gogol, Brodie Reid, and Tommy Wingels all found the iron instead of the twine. Wingels also had a great chance when he jammed a loose puck through the pads of Legacy, but the Falcons defense was there to sweep the puck away. Reid also got one through Legace’s five-hole, but the puck rolled along the goal line instead of over it and snuck by the far post without going in.

Benn Ferriero would finally beat Legace and light the lamp with a power play tally at 17:35 of the period when he gathered the rebound of John McCarthy’s shot and flipped the puck through traffic to beat the screened netminder. Sean Sullivan had the second assist.

After three consecutive penalty calls against the Falcons–including a double minor–it was obvious that the next call would be against the WorSharks, and when a chance popped up for matching minors referee Gino Binda decided to just send James Livingston. The Falcons would have probably liked it better if Binda had called the matching penalties as despite being a man down Worcester out-hustled Springfield in their own zone, and the WorSharks beat Legace again when Tony Lucia led Wingels to a nice tip in for a shorthanded goal with 39 seconds left in the period.

After a late minor on Springfield the WorSharks started the second period on the power play, and after not being able to connect on several good chances the Falcons hit Cam Atkinson coming out of the box. The WorSharks defense looked to play it very well, but referee Mark Lemelin called for a penalty shot and Atkinson beat Worcester netminder Tyson Sexsmith at 1:40 of the middle stanza.

That would be the end of the scoring, but not for a lack of chances as both the Falcons and WorSharks would exchange multiple quality scoring attempts with Legace and Sexsmith both coming up big when they needed to. Worcester’s best chance in the the period came off the stick of Reid, who cannot buy a goal lately. Atkinson has Springfield’s best bid with a wide open net in front of him, but a timely back check by Wingels prevented Atkinson from getting good wood on his shot.

The Falcons would eventually pull Legace for an extra attacker, but Sexsmith and the WorSharks held firm to improve to 3-0-0-1 on their current road trip.

GAME NOTES
On Monday the Worcester Shuttle stopped in The Bay State to drop off Antero Niittymaki for a two week conditioning stint. The scratches for Worcester were Mike Connolly, Ben Guite, Cam MacIntyre, Brandon Mashinter, Mike Moore, and Antero Niittymaki. Harri Sateri was the back-up netminder. For the second time this season the WorSharks went with just 17 skaters.

The game winner for Tommy Wingels was his third in a row in consecutive games, which sets a team record. Mike Iggulden also had three game winners in a row in 2007-08, but the WorSharks lost games between those game winning goals.

The three stars of the game were:
1. WOR – Wingels (gwg)
2. SPR – Legace (29 saves)
3. WOR – Sexsmith (27 saves)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Benn Ferriero.

BOXSCORE

Worcester 2 0 0 – 2
Springfield 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Worcester, Ferriero 9 (McCarthy, Sullivan), 17:35 (PP). 2, Worcester, Wingels 8 (Lucia), 19:21 (SH). Penalties-Bonneau Wor (fighting), 2:06; Spencer Spr (fighting), 2:06; Russell Spr (hooking), 8:50; Savard Spr (hooking), 10:18; Savard Spr (double minor – high-sticking), 14:30; Livingston Wor (roughing), 17:51; Gogol Wor (fighting), 19:31; Bass Spr (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 19:31.

2nd Period-3, Springfield, Atkinson 13 1:40 (PS). Penalties-Del Monte Wor (hooking), 5:42; Pelech Wor (cross-checking), 7:47; Pelech Wor (fighting), 17:15; Bass Spr (fighting), 17:15.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-served by Thomas Spr (bench minor – too many men), 10:44; Acolatse Wor (tripping), 11:34.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 16-8-7-31. Springfield 4-12-12-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 5; Springfield 0 / 4.
Goalies-Worcester, Sexsmith 6-5-3 (28 shots-27 saves). Springfield, Legace 5-8-0 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-2,165
Referees-Mark Lemelin (41), Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Robert St. Lawrence (10), Rich Patry (52).

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