Worcester Railers HC at Manchester MonarchsMarch 15, 2019SNHU ArenaMeeting 9 of 12 vs. Manchester this seasonRailers are 5-4-0-0 vs. the Monarchs this season
Railers kick off weekend with the Right Stuff in 5-2 win in ManchesterWorcester moves one point out of playoff spot in North
Manchester, NH – The Worcester Railers HC (29-23-5-4, 67pts) moved closer to a playoff spot after a 5-2 win over the host Manchester Monarchs (32-26-2-2, 68pts) in front of 1,593 fans at the SNHU Arena on Friday evening. With the win, the Railers are now one point behind the Manchester Monarchs for the 4th spot in the North Division with 11 games remaining. The Railers are back in action on a BIG GAME SATURDAY with a 7pm start vs. the Maine Mariners at the DCU Center with the first 3,000 fans receiving a St Patrick’s Day TRAX bobblehead courtesy of Cornerstone Bank.
Barry Almeida (1-1-2), Bo Brauer (2 goals), and Dylan Willick all scored for Worcester while Mitch Gillam made 38 saves in net for his 18th win of the season. Kevin Dufour scored goals for the Monarchs while Charles Williams made 28 saves in net as Worcester improved to 14-14-1-3 on the road this season and picked up their franchise best fourth straight road win.
Goaltender Mitch Gillam was very, very, very sharp in the opening period making 17 saves to keep the Monarchs at bay as Worcester fired nine shots on Charles Williams as the two teams headed to the locker room scoreless.
Manchester went ahead 1-0 after the puck pinballed after a faceoff in the Worcester zone and Kevin Dufour (22nd) snapped a quick shot at 3:30 of the second period. Worcester would net the next three as Barry Almeida (20th) jammed home a centering feed after a nice rush by Connor Doherty at 6:13 and Bo Brauer (8th) intercepted a clearing attempt and zipped the puck past Charles Williams at 15:23. Dylan Willick (7th) skated out of the left-wing corner, went around two defenders, before sweeping the puck around the Manchester netminder at 15:48 to put Worcester ahead 3-1. Mitch Gillam had 30 saves through 40 minutes of play as he continued his stellar play in net.
Tyler Barnes (24th) added an insurance goal at 3:14 of the third period with a terrific finish after a Barry Almeida centering feed to give Worcester a 4-1 lead. Manchester would pull their goalie with six minutes left in the game and score at 14:13 as Kevin Dufour (23rd) netted his 2nd of the game. Bo Brauer (9th) would find an empty net at 18:24 to seal the deal as the Railers grabbed a 5-2 road victory in Manchester.
Notes: Three Stars: 3rd star: Barry Almeida (1-1-2) 2nd star: Kevin Dufour (2-0-2) 1st star: Mitch Gillam (38 saves, Win) …. final shots were 40-33 in favor of Manchester…Charles Williams (19-11-3) made 28 saves on 32 shots for Manchester… Mitch Gillam (18-13-4) made 38 saves on 40 shots for Worcester for his 4th straight win – Blake Wojtala served as the backup…. Worcester went 0-for-1 on the power play while Manchester went 0-for-0…. Kyle McKenzie (inj), Tommy Panico (inj), Alex Vanier (inj), Evan Buitenhuis (inj), Ross Olsson, and Spencer Trapp did not dress for Worcester….Mike Cornell (BRI) and Nick Sorkin (BNG) are currently in the AHL…. Matt Schmalz returned to the lineup after missing the last 20 games due to injury and added an assist…..the Railers are now 14-14-1-3 on the road this season…Ryan Hitchcock has 31 points (14-17-31) in his last 24 games…. the Railers have 11 games remaining (7 home, 4 road)… Worcester now have 46 fighting majors this season – they had 45 last season…. with the goal, Barry Almeida now has back-to-back 20 goal seasons for the Railers….Matt Schmalz, Ryan Hitchcock, Connor Doherty, Barry Almeida, David Quenneville, and Tommy Kelly all picked up assists for Worcester….Tyler Barnes, Bo Brauer, and Barry Almeida all had five shots for Worcester.
What’s on tap – Celebrate St Patrick’s Day weekend at the DCU Center!On Saturday, March 16 the Railers host the Maine Mariners at 7pm on a BIG GAME SATURDAY! The first 3,000 fans will receive a St. Patrick’s Day themed TRAX bobblehead presented by Cornerstone Bank. Every Saturday night home game is SATURDAY NIGHT SIGNINGS presented by MidState Auto Group with a Railers player signing autographs during the first intermission.
On Sunday, March 17 the Railers host the Manchester Monarchs at 3pm on a KIDS GIVEAWAY SUNDAY! The first 1,000 kids 12-and-under will receive a co-branded green Worcester Railers / Worcester Bravehearts water bottle courtesy of the Worcester Bravehearts! Score a SUNDAY FUNDAY ticket pack every Sunday which includes 4 ticket and 4 beers or 4 tickets and 4 sodas/popcorns starting at just $60!
Individual tickets to a Railers game start as low as $15 by calling 508-365-1750 or visit RailersHC.com. Save $$$ with a RAILERS 6 PACK which includes six flex tickets and a Railers winter hat starting at $99.
The Railers Tavern located behind the DCU Center provides hockey fans with a great pregame and postgame atmosphere all season long. Watch all road games broadcast live at Railers Tavern or watch on ECHLTV.com for a small fee. Listen to all Railers games live on 98.9 Nash ICON with coverage beginning 30 minutes before puck drop with Eric Lindquist and Tom Matthews. Full season memberships, mini plans, and group tickets are on sale now by calling the Railers front office at 508-365-1750 or by visiting www.RailersHC.com.
Railers 2.0…. Don’t. Miss. Out!