WORCESTER, MA – October 14, 2023 – The Maine Mariners fell by a final score of 4-2 to the Worcester Railers to wrap up the preseason on Saturday night at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center. Ethan Keppen and Chase Zieky found the net in the losing effort, as the home team won both games by identical scores in the preseason tune-up for the 2023-24 VIP Rivalry Cup.
Worcester struck first with a power play goal at 8:02 of the opening period, on a screen shot from the blue line by defenseman Christian Krygier that got past Maine netminder Brad Arvanitis. The offense was limited on both sides in the frame, with the Railers posting a 6-3 shot advantage. The period also featured a fight between Mariners forward Wyllum Deveaux and Worcester heavyweight Chris Ordoobadi.
Early in the 2nd period, Railers forward Joey Cippolone picked the pocket of Brooklyn Kalmikov near the Mariners blue line and skated in alone on Arvanitis with a shorthanded breakaway. Cippolone slipped the puck between the pads of the Mariners netminder, increasing the Railers lead to 2-0. The Mariners got on the board late in the middle frame, when Ethan Keppen finished off an odd-man rush into the Worcester zone, set up by Gabriel Chicoine and Cole Dubinsky. It was Keppen’s third goal of the weekend.
Cippolone scored his second of the game less than two minutes into the third to put Worcester back up by two, tipping a rebound past Cole Ceci, who took over in the Mariners net midway through the game. With just over five minutes to play, Chase Zieky crashed the net to finish a Adam Mechura feed and pull the Mariners back within a goal, but a Keegan Howdeshell empty netter would ice the game.
Former Mariner Josh Boyko got the victory in goal for Worcester, stopping 15 of 17. In the Mariners net, Arvanitis and Ceci each saw ten shots, Arvanitis stopping eight and Ceci, nine.
The Mariners will open the regular season Friday in Quebec, with a 7 PM faceoff against the Trois-Rivieres Lions. The regular season home opener presented by Evergreen Credit Union is Saturday, October 21st at 6 PM, also against the Lions. Single game tickets for all 36 regular season home games are now on sale at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Ware-Butler Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. The full schedule for the 2023-24 season, presented by Hannaford to Go, can be viewed here. Full and half season packages, 12-game plans, 10-ticket flex plans, and group discounts are also available by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland.
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