Game Story

Glens Falls, NY – Coming off three straight home wins, the Worcester Railers traveled to Glens Falls for the twelfth and final regular season match-up against the Adirondack Thunder, the only game in minor league hockey on Easter Sunday.

Frankie DiChiara scored the game’s first goal, a top-shelf shot on the game’s first power play. Railers led 1-0 through the game’s opening frame, outshooting the Thunder 10-5 Worcester.

There were a number of “missed calls” by the on-ice officials throughout the game, but the most noticeable one was a hit from behind on Matt Gaudreau by Mathieu Brodeur in the second period. Brodeur was given just five minutes for a fight that broke out between him and Ben Masella after the altercation. Gaudreau skated off the ice on his own and returned to play several minutes later.

Adirondack’s Troy Bourke scored the first goal for the Thunder on the power play at 6:17 in the second. TJ Syner would answer back, scoring his ninth of the season after getting a second shot off a rebound from the pads of Adirondack’s MacKenzie Blackwood. The goal was scored on the power play, which was coincidentally drawn on a high stick on TJ Syner 25 seconds earlier. Railers led 2-1 after forty minutes, with Adirondack outshooting Worcester 5-2 in the period.

Frankie DiChiara scored his second of the game on a cross-ice feed from Josh Holmstrom with just under seven minutes left in regulation. Mike Cornell put the game away with 9.5 seconds with an empty net goal from across the ice.

The three stars of the game were: Frankie DiChiara, Troy Bourke, and Mitch Gillam. . Railers close out their season series against the Thunder going 8-2-0-1 in the regular season. They could face each other again in the post-season, depending on each team’s placement in the playoffs.

With a win Sunday, the Railers have jumped into fourth place in the North Division, and are currently placed as to face the Manchester Monarchs in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Railers have one point more than the Wheeling Nailers and have one point in hand with three games left in the season. Railers can clinch their first playoff berth with a win Wednesday with a Nailers loss on Friday.

Railers will stay on the road and will face another North Division rival, the Reading Royals, on Wednesday. Puck drops at 7 PM.

Box Score

Scoring 1 2 3 T
Worcester Railers 1 1 2 4
Adirondack Thunder 0 1 0 1
Shots 1 2 3 T
Worcester Railers 10 4 11 25
Adirondack Thunder 5 14 9 28
Railers Roster # Name G A +/- SH PIM
G 29 W. King 0 0 0 0 0
G 35 M. Gillam 0 0 0 0 0
D 2 T. Panico 0 0 0 0 0
D 3 B. Masella 0 0 0 0 5
D 5 K. McKenzie 0 0 +1 0 2
D 6 M. Cornell 1 1 +1 2 0
F 8 M. Gaudreau 0 1 0 3 0
C 10 M. Lane 0 1 +1 4 0
F 11 J. Holmstrom 0 1 +2 1 0
F 13 J. Randolph 0 0 0 1 0
F 14 T. Syner 1 0 0 2 2
LW 17 F. DiChiara 2 0 +1 2 0
LW 18 N. Saracino 0 1 +1 1 0
F 19 B. Almeida 0 1 0 4 0
D 22 J. Hamonic 0 0 +1 1 0
F 23 W. Hudson 0 0 0 1 4
F 42 D. Willick 0 0 +1 3 0
D 44 P. Cullity 0 0 +1 0 0
Team:
Totals: 4 6 10 25 13
No Name Min SH SVS GA
35 M. Gillam (W) 59:59 28 27 1
Totals: 59:59 28 27 1
Thunder Roster # Name G A +/- SH PIM
G 29 M. Blackwood 0 0 0 0 0
G 31 O. Mantha 0 0 0 0 0
D 2 M. Bergin 0 0 0 0 0
D 3 M. Spencer 0 0 -1 3 0
D 5 D. Olsen 0 0 -1 4 0
F 8 R. Schmelzer 0 1 -2 4 0
F 9 M. Szmatula 0 0 -1 0 0
F 10 T. Wallin 0 0 0 2 2
F 15 J. Henry 0 0 0 1 0
F 17 P. Rodrigues 0 0 0 0 0
F 19 T. Harrison 0 0 0 0 2
F 22 B. Ward 0 0 -1 2 0
F 23 S. Conacher 0 1 -1 2 0
D 25 M. Brodeur 0 0 -1 2 5
F 27 K. Miller 0 0 -1 2 0
D 37 D. Bergin 0 0 -1 2 2
D 44 C. Riley 0 0 0 2 0
F 70 T. Bourke 1 0 -1 2 2
Team:
Totals: 1 2 -11 28 13
No Name Min SH SVS GA
29 M. Blackwood (L) 57:26 24 21 3
Empty Net 1 1
Totals: 57:26 25 21 4
P T Player M Offense Time
1st H T. Bourke 2.00 Slashing – minor (61.2) 9:21
1st H D. Bergin 2.00 Cross-Checking Minor (59.2) 14:24
1st V T. Syner 2.00 Hooking – minor (55.2) 16:47
1st H T. Wallin 2.00 Holding the stick – minor (54.2) 19:57
2nd V W. Hudson 2.00 Cross-Checking Minor (59.2) 4:35
2nd V B. Masella 5.00 Fighting – Major (46.14) 7:29
2nd H M. Brodeur 5.00 Fighting – Major (46.14) 7:29
2nd V K. McKenzie 2.00 Delay of Game (63.2) 12:27
2nd H T. Harrison 2.00 High-sticking – minor (60.2) 15:30
3rd V W. Hudson 2.00 Tripping – minor (57.2) 4:49

Notes

  • Railers Scratches: Maurizio Colella (reserve), Connor Doherty (reserve), Tommy Kelley (21-day injury reserve/upper body), Chris Langkow (21-day injury reserve/lower body), Josh McArdle, Josh Monk (21-day injury reserve/upper body), and Dwyer Tschantz.
  • Thunder Scratches: Drew Fielding, Pierre-Luc Mercier, Austin Orszulak, Bo Pieper (placed on waivers prior to the game), Blake Thompson, and Aaron Titcomb.
  • Justin Hamonic and Dwyer Tschantz were released from their PTOs with the Utica Comets on Sunday morning. Hamonic went -3 in Utica’s 6-5 win over Springfield on Saturday, while Tschantz was a healthy scratch. Both players joined the Railers in Glens Falls prior to Sunday’s game.
  • As Darryl Hunt points out on twitter, the Railers have scored goals in 11 consecutive periods, which is now the Franchise high.

Railers Lines (Observed by order in which they appeared):

LW C RW
Forward Line 1  N. Saracino #18  T. Syner #14  B. Almeida #19
Forward Line 2  M. Gaudreau #8  J. Holmstrom #11  D. Willick #42
Forward Line 3  J. Randolph #13  M. Lane #10  F. DiChiara #17 / W. Hudson #23
LD RD
Defense Line 1  K. McKenzie #5  M. Cornell #6 “C”
Defense Line 2  B. Masella #3  P. Cullity #44
Defense Line 3  J. Hamonic #22 “A”  T. Panico #2
G
Starting Goaltender  Mitch Gillam #35
Backup Goaltender  Will King #29