PORTLAND, ME – January 23, 2022 – Pat Shea registered his first career multi-goal game to lead the Mariners to a 4-1 win over the Orlando Solar Bears on Sunday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Arena. The Mariners took two of three from the Solar Bears, and split the season series at two games apiece.
A physical game throughout, Maine’s Jake Bricknell dropped the gloves with Solar Bears defenseman Luke McInnis midway through the opening period. With less than three minutes to play in the period, Pat Shea was robbed by Solar Bears netminder Brad Barone, but buried a rebound over his pad to open the scoring. Linemates Nick Master and Mathew Santos picked up assists.
More fireworks were set off at 16:02 of the second when Orlando’s Tyler Bird boarded Mariners captain Connor Doherty. Bird and Bleackley were penalized and further pushing and shoving proceeded between the benches during the break in action. As a result, Doherty and Chad Duchesne also received roughing penalties. Despite 33 combined shots in the middle frame, neither team was able to find the net.
Early in the 3rd, Mathew Santos gave the Mariners some insurance, finishing an impressive setup from Nick Master and Zach Malatesta. Malatesta ripped the puck across the offensive zone to Master at the right circle. Master tucked the puck around the pad of Barone and left it sitting in the crease for Santos to clean up. At 6:06 of the period, Shea found his wheels, taking a pass from Josh Couturier and breaking in alone on Barone. Shea flip it over Barone’s glove hand for a 3-0 Maine lead. Although Luke Boka broke Callum Booth’s shutout bid at 16:14, Cam Askew answered with a long empty netter a minute later to bring the game to its 4-1 final score.
Booth earned his third win of the season with 31 saves. Barone stopped 38 in the loss.
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