Game Story


Worcester, MA — The Worcester Railers picked up a 4-2 victory over the Adirondack Thunder on Friday night in front of a crowd of 1,804 fans at the DCU Center.

Henrik Tikkanen secured his third win of the season by making 23 saves, marking his first home victory in nearly two months. His first home win occurred on opening night in Worcester’s 5-2 victory over the Thunder. Jeremy Brodeur made an impressive 37 saves for the Thunder, having a strong performance until Worcester scored three goals in the third period. Worcester’s goal scorers included Riley Piercey, Blade Jenkins, Anthony Repaci, and Andrei Bakanov, while Tristan Ashbrook and Grant Jozefek tallied for Adirondack. Jake Schultz ended a scoring drought that has lasted since the beginning of the season, earning his first point in twelve games. Also of note, Henrik Tikkanen contributed to the scoresheet with an assist, setting up Blade Jenkins’ goal. This Friday marked the Railers’ first home win of the season when tied after both the first and second periods.

Both teams had two power plays each, but both were unsuccessful, and these scoring opportunities were limited. Even during even-strength play, the Railers’ quality of shots was below par when compared to their shot count. Led by Anthony Repaci and Ashton Calder, who each had five shots, the Railers outshot the Thunder 41-25 throughout the game. Particularly noteworthy was the second period, where they dominated with a 17-6 shot advantage. Four of the Thunders’ shots were made during the power play in the final 1:21 of that period.

Tristan Ashbrook put the Thunder on the board at 9:31 in the first period, getting a quick breakaway on what was a 2-on-3, he found a loose puck from Shane Harper and scored upfront over the shoulder of Henrik Tikkanen. Riley Piercey batted in a shot from Keeghan Howdeshell to tie the game up with 49 seconds left in the first period.

The second period unfolded without any goals, and it was Blade Jenkins who ultimately broke the tie midway through the third period, securing his fifth goal of the season. Henrik Tikkanen initiated the play by sending the puck down the ice, where Jenkins seized the opportunity in the Thunder zone. Jenkins executed a swift rush and shot, beating Brodeur as the puck deflected off the goal post and found its way into the net.

Former Railer Grant Jozefek responded six minutes later, scoring off a rebound to level the game once again. Captain Anthony Repaci then propelled the Railers back into the lead with a two-on-one, capitalizing on a wide-open net while Brodeur attempted to disrupt the pass from Blade Jenkins. This goal marked Repaci’s first in five games. Andrei Bakanov sealed the victory with an empty-net goal after Brodeur was pulled for the extra attacker, securing the Railers’ 4-2 win.

The Three Stars of the Game were:

  1. Anthony Repaci (Worcester) – game-winning goal
  2. Henrik Tikkanen (Worcester) – win, assist, 23 saves, 0.920 SV%
  3. Riley Piercey (Worcester) – 1 goal

On Friday night, all seven teams from the North Division were in action. In an earlier matchup in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the Growlers secured a narrow 4-3 overtime victory against Maine. Trois-Rivieres achieved a shutout with a 1-0 win over Reading, courtesy of a second-period goal from John Parker-Jones. Meanwhile, Norfolk faced a 4-1 defeat in the first of back-to-back games against the Jacksonville Icemen at the Norfolk Scope.

On Saturday night, the Railers and Thunder will return to the DCU Center. The Railers are set to don ‘Ugly Sweater’ specialty jerseys, which will be auctioned off during and after the game to support the Shine Initiative. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

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Box Score


Scoring 1 2 3 T
1 0 1 2
1 0 3 4
Shots 1 2 3 T
8 6 11 25
10 17 14 41
Score Team Time Scored by Assisted by Type
1 – 0 9:31 – 1st T. Ashbrook (3) S. Harper, M. Stief
1 – 1 19:11 – 1st R. Piercey (1) K. Howdeshell, J. Schultz
1 – 2 10:56 – 3rd B. Jenkins (5) H. Tikkanen
2 – 2 17:01 – 3rd G. Jozefek (1) R. Wheeler, R. Smith
2 – 3 19:20 – 3rd A. Repaci (3)
2 – 4 19:45 – 3rd A. Bakanov (4) T. Cosgrove EN

Rosters

# Player G A +/- SH PIM
G 29 V. Purpura 0 0 0 0 0
G 35 J. Brodeur 0 0 0 0 0
D 5 W. MacKinnon 0 0 -3 2 0
D 6 R. Wheeler 0 1 0 0 0
F 9 T. Ashbrook 1 0 -1 2 0
F 10 R. Smith 0 1 -3 4 0
F 11 S. Harper 0 1 +1 1 0
D 12 R. Orgel 0 0 +1 0 0
F 13 T. Leeson 0 0 -1 1 0
F 19 J. Jeffers 0 0 +1 1 0
F 21 P. Grasso 0 0 0 1 0
F 22 N. Blachman 0 0 -1 2 0
D 24 M. Stief 0 1 +1 0 0
D 26 C. Felix 0 0 -3 2 0
F 27 T. Broughman 0 0 0 2 0
F 37 M. Gillespie 0 0 -1 2 2
F 43 G. Jozefek 1 0 -1 4 0
F 55 Z. Walker 0 0 -1 0 2
D 72 T. Thompson 0 0 0 1 0
Team:
Totals: 2 4 -11 25 4
Player MIN SH SVS GA SV%
35 J. Brodeur (L) – 40 37 3 –
Empty Net – 1 1 –
Totals: – 41 37 4 –
# Player G A +/- SH PIM
G 30 T. Lennox 0 0 0 0 0
G 39 H. Tikkanen 0 1 0 0 0
D 3 R. Verrier 0 0 0 0 0
D 4 J. Schultz 0 1 +1 3 2
F 5 Z. White 0 0 0 3 0
D 10 T. Cosgrove 0 1 +2 3 0
F 11 A. Bakanov 1 0 +2 2 0
F 12 J. Cipollone 0 0 0 2 0
F 13 J. Pivonka 0 0 +2 2 0
F 15 B. Robbins 0 0 0 2 2
F 16 A. Calder 0 0 +1 5 0
F 17 K. Howdeshell 0 1 -1 1 0
F 19 B. Jenkins 1 0 0 2 0
F 23 T. Goehring 0 0 +2 3 0
D 26 C. Welsh 0 0 0 0 0
F 29 R. Piercey 1 0 0 3 0
D 70 Z. Garat 0 0 +1 4 0
F 81 A. Repaci 1 0 0 5 0
D 88 A. Kulakov 0 0 0 1 0
Team:
Totals: 4 4 10 41 4
Player MIN SH SVS GJ SV%
39 H. Tikkanen (W) – 25 23 2 –
Totals: – 25 23 2 –

Penalties

Time Team Player Mins Infraction
12:22 – 1st M. Gillespie 2 Tripping – minor (57.2)
11:33 – 2nd Z. Walker 2 High-sticking – minor (60.2)
18:39 – 2nd J. Schultz 2 Hooking – minor (55.2)
19:12 – 2nd B. Robbins 2 Hooking – minor (55.2)


Notes

  • Worcester Scratches: Anthony Callin, Christian Krygier, Jack Quinlivan, John Copeland, and Quinn Ryan.
  • Adirondack Scratches: Brendan Less, Bryce Martin, Devon Becker, T.J. Friedmann, and Tyler Brennan.
  • Quinn Ryan has been sidelined for his eighth consecutive game, with his last appearance dating back to November 17 against Cincinnati. This absence seems to be unrelated to any health issues, as he has been with the team and observed at the DCU Center during the games in which he has been scratched. Given that he has surpassed the 14-day mark for injured reserve, if injury were the cause, it appears he is occupying a roster spot that could otherwise be utilized to bring in another player. A bit of a mystery as the Railers have yet to make any changes to their roster.
  • Attendance for Friday’s game was 1,806. It is the third time this season the Railers have had attendance numbers below 2,000, and the second consecutive Friday with those numbers. The Railers all-time average for Friday games stands at 3,151.
  • On Thursday night, comedian Bert Kreischer took the stage at the DCU Center. Earlier in the day, the Railers had collaborated with Kreischer on a couple of social media posts, and the team had a team bonding event with the comedian. When Kreischer appeared on stage, he initially wore a blue Railers jersey. However, this attire lasted only ten seconds before he promptly stripped off the jersey, showcasing his trademark style of performing shirtless.
  • Following Friday’s game, the Railers had the following scoring streaks and droughts:
    • Ryan Verrier is without a point in all eighteen games he’s played in this season.
    • Jake Schultz scored his first point of the season, snapping an eleven-game scoring drought.
    • Zach White is without a point in his last four games.
    • Trevor Cosgrove snapped a four-game scoring drought with an assist.
    • Andrei Bakanov snapped a five-game scoring drought with a goal.
    • Jake Pivonka is without a point in his last four games.
    • Brendan Robbins is without a point in his last three games.
    • Blade Jenkins is on a three-game point streak. (1-2-3)
    • Todd Goehring is without a point in his last three games.
    • Riley Piercey snapped a three-game scoring drought with a goal.
    • Zsombor Garat is without a point in his last eight games.
    • Anthony Repaci snapped a five-game scoring drought, scoring his first goal since October 22.
    • Artyom Kulakov is without a point in his last eight games.
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Referee Marc-Olivier Phaneuf (23)
Referee –
Linesman Matthew Heinen (93)
Linesman Maxime Bedard (65)




Notable Tweets as the Game Happened

[Railers had posted and then deleted their social media posts with the lines for this game.]

Railers Lines


Thunder Lines


Tristan Ashbrook goal (1-0 Thunder)


Riley Piercey goal (Tied at 1)


Blade Jenkins goal (2-1 Railers)


Grant Jozefek goal (Tied at 2)


Anthony Repaci goal (3-2 Railers)


Andrei Bakanov goal (4-2 Railers)