Worcester Opens Six-Game Road Trip with 5-3 Win Over Norfolk

Worcester Railers HC at Norfolk Admirals

February 17th, 2023

Norfolk Scope Arena

Meeting 7 of 8 vs Norfolk this season.

Worcester Opens Six-Game Road Trip with 5-3 Win Over Norfolk

Railers are 6-0-1-0 vs the Admirals this season.

Anthony Repaci scores in 100th career game as a Railer

Norfolk, VA – The Worcester Railers HC (25-21-3-0 53 points) won the first of their two games against the Norfolk Admirals on the weekend in front of 3,951 fans at Norfolk Scope Arena. The Worcester Railers close out their season series vs Norfolk tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m.

Worcester scored first in this contest. Anthony Repaci (1-2-3) found Quinn Ryan (1-0-1) in the slot for the first goal of the game. Anthony Repaci scored the second goal for Worcester on a breakaway after a nice outlet pass from Brent Beaudoin (0-2-2). Jake Pappalardo (1-0-1) scored his first goal as a Railer giving them a three-goal lead. Connor McCarthy’s (1-0-1) slap shot soared into the back of the net for the Railers fourth goal. Todd Burgess (1-0-1) got the Admirals on the board shortly after McCarthy’s goal. Andrei Bakanov (1-1-2) scored a shorthanded goal late in the third to put Worcester back up by four. The Admirals scored back-to-back goals, the first scored by Tanner Schachle (1-0-1) and the second by Griffin Lunn (1-0-1) to give the game its final score of 5-3.

Midway through the first period Norfolk put the puck in the back of the net but after review they waved it off. The officials decided that Railers goalie, Brent Moran, was interfered with taking the goal away from the Admirals and keeping the game scoreless. Anthony Repaci kept his now nine-game point streak going in this game as he found Quinn Ryan (13th) open in the slot for the first goal of the game. Shots in favor of the Admirals 13-11 at the end of the first.

It didn’t take long for Worcester to score in the second period. Anthony Repaci (14th) beat Admirals goalie, Tomas Vomacka, on a breakaway thanks to a nice pass from Brent Beaudoin in the neutral zone. The Railers scored again on another breakaway later in the period. This time it was Jake Pappalardo (1st), scoring his first goal as a Railer. Billy Jerry was credited with the assist. That was the end of Vomacka’s night, Norfolk sent out Cale Morris in his place. Andrei Bakanov took a huge open ice hit in the middle stanza but came back into the game. Railers were up 3-0 at the end of forty minutes.

The third period had a short delay as Brent Moran had an issue with the ice by his goal. Last time the Railers were in Norfolk there was an hour delay due to an issue with the glycol line. Luckily no drills were brought out and the period started relativel on-time. Three minutes into the final period of play, Connor McCarthy (2nd) loaded up his cannon and fired one past Morris for the Railers fourth goal of the game and McCarthy’s first goal since November. The Admirals got on the board for the first time Friday night after Todd Burgess’s (6th) shot went past Moran. Worcester found themselves in the attacking end on the penalty kill and Andrei Bakanov (2nd) took a shot that set off the lamp for Worcester’s sixth shorthanded goal of the season. The Admirals scored back-to-back goals within forty-seven seconds of each other. The first scored by Tanner Schachle (6th) which was elevated along the goal line off of his backhand to beat the shoulder of Moran. The second was scored by Griffin Lunn (8th), making it a two-goal game. The Admirals pulled Morris with two minutes left to play but failed to score, as the game came to a close with Worcester on top 5-3.

Notes: 3rd star: Quinn Ryan (1-0-1). 2nd star: Connor McCarthy (1-0-1). 1st star: Anthony Repaci (1-1-2). Brent Moran had 33 saves on 36 shots. Cale Morris led the Admirals in saves with 15 on 17 shots, while Tomas Vomacka made 13 saves on 16 shots faced. Anthony Repaci, Bobby Butler, Connor McCarthy all led the team in shots with four. Darren McCormick led the Admirals in shots with 6. Worcester moves to 25-21-3-0 on the season.

#AllAboutTheW