PORTLAND, ME – March 5, 2023 – The Mariners could only muster one goal on Sunday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Arena, but Francois Brassard made sure that one was enough. Stopping all 27 Worcester Railers shots, the Mariners netminder pitched his second shutout of the season in a 1-0 Mariners victory.
Neither team scored in the opening period, but there were 24 combined shots on goal. Brassard turned aside all 13 Railers attempts while Ken Appleby went 11/11 for Worcester.
It took until the 14:39 mark of the 2nd period for the game’s first and only goal, as the Mariners connected on the power play. Grant Gabriele’s one-timer from the blue line caromed off the leg of Fedor Gordeev and across the line for a 1-0 Mariners lead, which they would carry into the third.
Brassard came up with two clutch stops late, first stopping Nick Fea on a breakaway with just over six minutes to go. Then, with the Railers goalie pulled, Railers defenseman Myles McGurty tried to pot a rebound to Brassard’s right, but the Mariners netminder lunged over to take away what looked like an open net.
Brassard’s shutout was his second of the season and third of his professional career. It was Maine’s fourth team shutout. Ken Appleby was the tough-luck losing goaltender, making 36 stops on 37 Mariners shots. The Mariners moved back into second place with Reading’s loss to Trois-Rivieres.
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