Game Story
Worcester, MA — The Worcester Railers swept the Norfolk Admirals in a 5-3 victory in front of a crowd of 7,293 on Tuesday morning. Nearly 5,500 area school kids were bussed to the DCU Center as a part of the team’s annual School Day Game.
The Railers extended their win streak to 9-0 to kick off their day and now own the best record to kick off a season by any team in ECHL history and the longest win streak by any Worcester pro hockey team. Worcester goals were scored by Jacob Hayhurst (3rd & 4th), Bobby Butler (4th), Jimmy Lambert (3rd), and Reece Newkirk (4th). Christian Evers, Jacob Hayhurst, Blade Jenkins, and Myles McGurty were each plus two on the day. Jimmy Lambert had his second consecutive multi-point game. Henrik Tikkanen earned his fourth win of the season with 23 saves on the day. Norfolk and Worcester battled for the lead in the first two periods followed by a trio of goals by the Railers in the third period for their ninth of the season.
Norfolk struck first at 5:09 with Kenny Hausinger netting a bounced puck from the left circle. Bobby Butler would tie things up five minutes later with a power play goal set up by a cross-ice pass from Quinn Ryan for his fourth goal of the season. Butler’s goal was his second on the power play and Worcester’s sixth of the season. Worcester outshot Norfolk 10-7 with a goal apiece through the opening frame.
Worcester and Norfolk split the second period with goals from Jimmy Lambert and Joe Widmar. Lambert ripped a Blake Christensen pass past goaltender Cale Morris at 3:15. Widmar’s goal came on a 3-on-1 after a Railers’ turnover in the Norfolk zone to tie things back up at 11:23. Game was tied at 2 with both teams putting up ten shots in the second period.
Railers three goals in the third period to secure their ninth-straight win. Jacob Hayhurst tapped in his third goal of the season at 1:59, followed by an insurance goal by Reece Newkirk at 5:06. Newkirk’s goal was a one-timer fed from behind the net from Blade Jenkins for his fourth of the season. Tag Bertuzzi scored for Norfolk on the power play for what is just their second power-play goal of the season at 5:53. Jacob Hayhurst put the game away with his second of the game, breaking up a pass by the Admirals and tapped past Cale Morris at 11:15 in the third.
The three stars of Tuesday morning’s game were:
- Jacob Hayhurst (Worcester) – 2 goals
- Joe Widmar (Norfolk) – 1 goal, 1 assist
- Jimmy Lambert (Worcester) – 1 goal, 1 assist
The Railers will play Norfolk again later this month as a part of their Thanksgiving road trip and again in February to kick off their five-game southern road trip that month. The Admirals will not return to Worcester for any more games during this regular season.
The Worcester Railers will hit the road this weekend for two games in Glens Falls against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday and Saturday, action for those games is slated for 7 PM.
Box Score
| Scoring | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Admirals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Worcester Railers | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Shots | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Admirals | 7 | 10 | 9 | 26 |
| Worcester Railers | 10 | 10 | 11 | 31 |
| Admirals Roster | # | Name | G | A | +/- | SH | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 30 | C. Morris | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 35 | M. Bullion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 3 | D. King | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 4 | C. Musser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 7 | K. Hausinger | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| F | 11 | J. Widmar | 1 | 1 | -2 | 4 | 0 |
| F | 12 | D. Katic | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 4 |
| D | 17 | A. Thow | 0 | 0 | +1 | 1 | 2 |
| F | 19 | J. Kaplan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| D | 20 | E. Williams | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 21 | T. Bertuzzi | 1 | 1 | -2 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 22 | J. Smith | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 23 | C. Milan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 24 | T. Burgess | 0 | 0 | -2 | 7 | 2 |
| F | 43 | A. Brown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| D | 55 | N. Schaus | 0 | 1 | +2 | 1 | 2 |
| D | 88 | E. Vilio | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 93 | L. MacDougall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 94 | B. Van Os | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Team: | |||||||
| Totals: | 3 | 6 | -10 | 26 | 14 |
| No | Name | Min | SH | SVS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | C. Morris (L) | 59:15 | 31 | 26 | 5 |
| Totals: | 59:15 | 31 | 26 | 5 |
| Railers Roster | # | Name | G | A | +/- | SH | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 35 | K. Appleby | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 39 | H. Tikkanen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 2 | C. McCarthy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 7 | L. Coughlin | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 8 | B. Butler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| D | 15 | C. Evers | 0 | 0 | +2 | 2 | 2 |
| F | 16 | J. Hayhurst | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 | 0 |
| F | 17 | B. Jenkins | 0 | 1 | +2 | 3 | 0 |
| F | 18 | B. Christensen | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 19 | Q. Ryan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 20 | T. Cosgrove | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| F | 21 | C. Adams | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 23 | J. Lambert | 1 | 1 | +1 | 2 | 4 |
| D | 25 | P. Beaulieu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 26 | J. Brandt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| D | 27 | M. McGurty | 0 | 1 | +2 | 3 | 0 |
| F | 37 | R. Newkirk | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | 0 |
| F | 44 | S. Jandric | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| F | 81 | A. Repaci | 0 | 1 | +1 | 1 | 0 |
| Team: | |||||||
| Totals: | 5 | 8 | 10 | 31 | 8 |
| No | Name | Min | SH | SVS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | H. Tikkanen (W) | 59:52 | 26 | 23 | 3 |
| Totals: | 59:52 | 26 | 23 | 3 |
| P | T | Player | M | Offense | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | V | K. Hausinger | 2.00 | Slashing – minor (61.2) | 9:21 |
| 1st | V | D. Katic | 2.00 | Slashing – minor (61.2) | 12:50 |
| 2nd | H | C. Evers | 2.00 | Slashing – minor (61.2) | 0:25 |
| 2nd | V | N. Schaus | 2.00 | Roughing – minor (51.2) | 8:56 |
| 2nd | V | B. Van Os | 2.00 | High-sticking – minor (60.2) | 14:33 |
| 2nd | V | A. Thow | 2.00 | Cross-Checking Minor (59.2) | 16:43 |
| 3rd | V | T. Burgess | 2.00 | High-sticking – minor (60.2) | 1:59 |
| 3rd | H | J. Lambert | 2.00 | Tripping – minor (57.2) | 5:22 |
| 3rd | H | J. Lambert | 2.00 | Slashing – minor (61.2) | 7:55 |
| 3rd | H | B. Butler | 2.00 | Slashing – minor (61.2) | 14:28 |
| 3rd | V | D. Katic | 2.00 | Boarding – minor (41.2) | 17:08 |
Notes
- Railers Scratches: Brent Beaudoin, Connor Breen (injured), Zack Bross (injured), Noah Delmas, Jack Quinlivan (injured), and Nolan Vesey.
- Admirals Scratches: Ryan Foss, Brett Ouderkirk, Luke Prokop, Carter Robertson, Dennis Smirnov, and Tomas Vomacka.
- Ken Appleby was named a runner-up for ECHL Goalie of the Week for Oct. 31-Nov. 6 with two wins, a 2.45 GAA, and a .928 save percentage. Jake Kupsky of the Idaho Steelheads received the honor, going 3-0-0 last week with a 1.00 GAA, and a .963 save percentage in three games last week, one of which was a shutout.
- Ryan MacKinnon was recalled to Bridgeport prior to Tuesday’s puck drop. Bridgeport will be traveling to Hershey, PA for games on Friday and Saturday. This is the second time MacKinnon has been involved in a transaction on the morning of a School Day Game, three years ago he was assigned to Worcester and made his season debut that morning. This is the first time any player has been recalled to Bridgeport so far this season.
- Norfolk Admirals named Jeff Carr their new head coach on Monday after their previous head coach Rod Taylor stepped down earlier in the day. Taylor was a player-turned-coach who once led the ECHL with the most points and goals scored, and held a number of records for the original Hampton Roads Admirals franchise, and is an example of how success on the ice doesn’t always translate to success behind the bench. Taylor had a record of 44-82-11-3 as bench boss of the Admirals with a win percentage of 36 percent. Carr takes the reign as head coach after being named SPHL coach of the year for 2021-22, and had a record of 151-83-24 (.632%) in five seasons as head coach of the Knoxville Ice Bears.
- The Railers had the following scoring streaks:
- Anthony Repaci extended his point streak to six games (2 goals, 3 assists).
- Jacob Hayhurst extended his point streak to five games (4 goals, 3 assists) and is on a three-game goal streak.
- Jimmy Lambert is on a three-game point streak.
- Phil Beaulueau had his point streak snapped at four games.
- For up-to-date news on all things Worcester Hockey, Like us on Facebook at Woo Hockey – Worcester Hockey News, Follow us on Twitter @WooHockeyNews, and join our Facebook Group – Worcester Railers Fan Club.
Railers Lines
| Forward Lines | LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Line 1 | Jacob Hayhurst #16 | Jimmy Lambert #23 | Anthony Repaci #81 “A” |
| Forward Line 2 | Steve Jandric #44 | Liam Coughlin #7 | Bobby Butler #8 “C” |
| Forward Line 3 | Collin Adams #21 | Blade Jenkins #17 | Reece Newkirk #37 |
| Rotated Forwards | – | Quinn Ryan #19 | Blake Christensen #18 |
| Defensive Pairings | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Line 1 | Jared Brandt #26 | Connor McCarthy #2 |
| Defense Line 2 | Myles McGurty #27 | Christian Evers #15 |
| Defense Line 3 | Trevor Cosgrove #20 | Phil Beaulieu #25 |
| Rotated Defensemen | – | – |
| Goalie Tandem | G |
|---|---|
| Starting Goaltender | Henrik Tikkanen #39 |
| Backup Goaltender | Ken Appleby #35 |
Admirals Lines
| Forward Lines | LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Line 1 | Tag Bertuzzi #21 | Joe Widmar #11 | Todd Burgess #24 |
| Forward Line 2 | Cody Milan #23 | Kenny Hausinger #7 | Jake Smith #22 |
| Forward Line 3 | Brett Van Os #94 | Jordan Kaplan #19 | Aidan Brown #43 |
| Rotated Forwards | Danny Katic #12 | Liam MacDougall #93 | – |
| Defensive Pairings | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Line 1 | Aaron Thow #17 | Nick Schaus #55 “A” |
| Defense Line 2 | Carson Musser #4 | Eric Williams #20 |
| Defense Line 3 | DJ King #4 | Elijah Vilio #88 |
| Rotated Defensemen | – | – |
| Goalie Tandem | G |
|---|---|
| Starting Goaltender | Cale Morris #30 |
| Backup Goaltender | Michael Bullion #35 |
On-Ice Officials:
| Referee | Casey Terreri (14) |
| Referee | – |
| Linesman | Matthew Heinen (93) |
| Linesman | Robert Griffin (53) |
Highlights
THE CAPTAIN SAYS WE ARE TIED! #RailersHC level the early morning contest at 1 with a Bobby Butler game-tying goal!#AllAboutTheW | #RailersHC | #Worcester pic.twitter.com/1uu947mOgU
— Worcester Railers (@RailersHC) November 8, 2022
Bobby Butler goal – this was the only goal tweeted by either team