SHARKSPAGE

WorSharks overpower Senators in 6-3 win vs Binghamton

The Worcester Sharks scored three power play goals at home for the first time on almost two years, and with a four point night from forward Willie Coetzee and three from defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser the WorSharks defeated the Binghamton Senators 6-3 Friday night at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts to sweep their two game season series. Dylan DeMelo and Daniil Tarasov had two points apiece and Troy Grosenick had 26 saves in the winning effort.

Newcomer Willie Coetzee continues to light it up for the Worcester Sharks. Since his
arrival just after Christmas the South African native has three goals and eight
points in seven games with the WorSharks. File photo courtesy of TEAMSHRED

For video highlights we’ll once again use the Worcester Sharks YouTube channel.

Scratches for the WorSharks were Petter Emanuelsson (shoulder), Micheal Haley (sick), Eriah Hayes (shoulder), and Nick Jones. J.P. Anderson was the back-up goaltender. Hayes hurt his shoulder on a hard check by Providence defenseman Chris Breen in the first period of their game last Sunday, and pregame Friday there was no word as to how seriously Hayes was injured. With Taylor Doherty off the injured list defenseman Andrew Blazek was released from his PTO and he reported to the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL), who acquired Blazek’s player rights in a trade with the Cincinnati Cyclones while Blazek was with Worcester.

It looked at several points in the game that it was going to explode, and if the WorSharks roster had looked like many years past the game absolutely would have gotten out of hand. At different points in the contest Riley Brace, Ryan Carpenter, and Tarasov were slow to get up off questionable hits from Senators players. In the middle of the third period Binghamton winger Buddy Robinson jacked up Andrew Burish in the slot as Burish went for a loose puck, and while on the ice Burish ‘took a number’. With about 30 seconds left in the game and the contest well in hand Burish found his number and blasted Robinson with an NHL-quality cross check. In the ensuing fracas it was, of all people, Jimmy Bonneau trying to play peacemaker. After the Senators Darren Kramer took a few swipes at Burish, who was being held by a linesman, Burish decided he needed some reach and speared Kramer. Burish ended up being called for a rare triple minor.

Speaking of Binghamton’s Kramer, he entered Friday night’s contest with 11 fights on the season, which was the total number of fights the entire Worcester lineup had so far in 2014-15. Kramer finished just short of a Gordie Howe hat trick, missing, of all things, a fight. A quick scan of AHL and ECHL player records shows he hasn’t had one as a pro. It does appear he had at least a couple with the Spokane Chiefs (WHL).

The AHL announced its lineups for the All-Star Classic and Matt Taormina is Worcester’s lone player representative. It’s Taormina’s second AHL All-Star selection but, presuming he plays, it will be his fist one played. He was chosen for the 2012 game at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J when he was with Albany, but a recall to the New Jersey Devils prevented him from playing. WorSharks head coach Roy Sommer was previously named as the Eastern Conference assistant coach.

The three stars of the game were
1. WOR – 26 Willie Coetzee (g,3a)
2. WOR – 10 Konrad Abeltshauser (g,2a)
3. BNG – 37 Darren Kramer (g,a)

The Sharkspage player of the game was Daniil Tarasov.

Even strength lines
Tarasov/Tierney/Coetzee
Hanson/Oleksuk/Carpenter
Lerg/Trupp/Langlois
Bonneau/Brace/Burish

Taormina/Doherty
Abeltshauser/DeMelo
Young/Fedun

BOX SCORE

Binghamton 1 2 0 – 3
Worcester 3 1 2 – 6

1st Period-1, Worcester, Coetzee 3 (Abeltshauser, DeMelo), 2:20 (PP). 2, Worcester, Tierney 4 (Tarasov, Coetzee), 8:37. 3, Binghamton, Dziurzynski 4 (McCormick, Kramer), 8:53. 4, Worcester, Tarasov 7 (Coetzee, Tierney), 11:15 (PP). Penalties-Sdao Bng (boarding), 1:51; D. Grant Bng (hooking), 10:52; Wideman Bng (roughing), 12:17; Young Wor (interference), 16:58; McCormick Bng (cross-checking), 19:57.

2nd Period-5, Binghamton, Kramer 1 (McCormick, Dziurzynski), 3:07. 6, Worcester, Carpenter 5 (Oleksuk, DeMelo), 10:45. 7, Binghamton, Puempel 9 (Prince, Wideman), 18:31 (PP). Penalties-Guptill Bng (hooking), 8:41; Taormina Wor (holding), 18:20.

3rd Period-8, Worcester, Abeltshauser 3 (Coetzee), 12:49. 9, Worcester, Langlois 10 (Trupp, Abeltshauser), 18:47 (PP). Penalties-D. Grant Bng (roughing), 17:47; Kramer Bng (misconduct – continuing altercation), 19:30; Bonneau Wor (misconduct – continuing altercation), 19:30; Burish Wor (cross-checking, double minor – spearing (attempt)), 19:30.

Shots on Goal-Binghamton 15-5-9-29. Worcester 11-15-10-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Binghamton 1 / 3; Worcester 3 / 6.
Goalies-Binghamton, Hammond 6-11-0 (36 shots-30 saves). Worcester, Grosenick 11-6-1 (29 shots-26 saves).
A-2,667
Referees-Trevor Hanson (47).
Linesmen-Kevin Keenan (22), Todd Whittemore (70).