DESPITE 50 SHOTS, MARINERS FALL TO RAILERS

PORTLAND, ME – March 19, 2023 – Outside of a three minute stretch in the 2nd period, the Maine Mariners dominated the Worcester Railers on Sunday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Arena. Unfortunately for Maine, the Railers scored three goals in that span, and their goaltender did the rest in a 3-2 Worcester victory.

The Mariners began their shot barrage in the first, with an 18-4 advantage, but neither team found the net and it remained a scoreless game through 20 minutes.

A power play goal from Grant Gabriele put the Mariners up 1-0 at 3:35 of the second, when he buried a rebound off the pad of Henrik Tikkanen that was initially fired by Alex Kile. Worcester’s power play answered back at 8:59, as Anthony Callin ripped home his first professional goal from the left circle. Just 17 seconds later, Andrei Bakanov walked out of the right wing corner and stuffed one by Francois Brassard to put Worcester in front. Just two minutes after that,  Callin got his second of the period when he jammed one past Brassard at 11:20, and the Railers took a 3-1 lead into the third.

It took only 45 seconds of the third for the Mariners to get back within one, when Alex Kile drove the net and slipped a backhand between the pads of Tikkanen to make it a 3-2 score. Maine would outshoot Worcester 17-2 in the third and 50-19 in the game, but they could not find the equalizer.