PORTLAND, ME – February 18, 2023 – The UMaine duo of Pat Shea and Tim Doherty each registered four points, as the Mariners notched a trio of power play goals in a 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Gladiators on Saturday night at the Cross Insurance Arena. It was the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
A pair of goals by Reid Stefanson had the Mariners off to a 2-0 lead in the first 11 minutes of the game. The first goal game after consecutive shifts where the Mariners kept the puck deep in Atlanta territory, exhausting their defenders. Stefanson moved into the slot and ripped a perfect stick-side shot in off the post at 7:13 to open the scoring. A little over three minutes later, Tim Doherty spotted Stefanson heading to the net and fed him a perfect lead pass for Stefanson to capitalize on for his second goal of the period at 10:57. On the second of two power plays, Cam Askew camped in front of the net and steered home the rebound from a Pat Shea shot to stretch the Maine lead to 3-0 after one.
Each team scored twice in the second period. The Mariners used the power play to strike again at 9:41 of the middle frame, Tim Doherty’s attempted pass glancing off a Gladiator skater and into the net. It was the Atlanta power play that finally got them on the board three minutes later. Eric Neiley, camp to the right of Francois Brassard, deflected home a Sanghoon Shin pass for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season. The Mariners goals leader had the answer however, when Shea netted his 20th at 19:38 with a long wrister that found its way into the net. Right as the period came to an end, a shot by Michal Mrazik dribbled through Brassard and just across the goal line. The Mariners carried a 5-2 lead into the third.
Atlanta continued to hand the Mariners power play chances, giving them five more opportunities in the third. At 9:31, Nick Master finished a pass in the slot from Shea to make it 6-2, with Maine’s third power play goal of the game. Both Shea and Tim Doherty finished with a goal and three assists.
Brassard made 24 saves to earn his 12th win. The Mariners are now just eight points behind first place Newfoundland with two games in hand, after the Growlers fell to Reading this afternoon.
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