RAILERS TAKE OVERTIME THRILLER IN TROIS-RIVIERES

Worcester Railers HC vs. Trois-Rivières Lions 

October 25, 2024 

Colisèe Vidèotron 

Meeting 1 of 15 vs. Trois-Rivières this season 

Railers are 1-0-0-0 vs. the Lions this season 

RAILERS TAKE OVERTIME THRILLER IN TROIS-RIVIERES 

Kopperud, McDonald each record two-point nights 

Trois-Rivières, QC – The Worcester Railers HC (1-2-0-0 2pts) beat the Trois-Rivières Lions (0-1-1-0, 1pts), on Friday night by the final score of 4-3 in front of a crowd of 2,441 at the Colisèe Vidèotron. The Railers are back on the ice next at the Cross Insurance Arena taking on the Maine Mariners on Sunday, October 27th at 3:00 p.m. EST. 

It was Trois-Rivières who struck first this time around, as Anthony Beauchamp (1-0-1) gave the Lions the 1-0 lead eight minutes into the first. The Railers didn't wait long to tie it up at 1, when Griffin Luce (1-0-1) found the back of the net. The Railers quickly took the 2-1 lead in the second with a goal from Mason Klee (1-0-1). Worcester started the scoring in the third with a goal from Jack Randl (1-0-1). Trois-Rivières then scored 2 unanswered from Xavier Cormier (1-1-2) and Brycen Martin (1-0-1) to send it to overtime. In overtime it was Matthew Kopperud (1-1-2) who scored the game winner for Worcester.  

The Lions scored first eight minutes into the first period as Anthony Beauchamp (1st) put the Lions up 1-0 off passes from Xavier Cormier and Jacob Paquette. Just two minutes later the Railers struck back when Griffin Luce (1st) redirected a shot into the net off of a Lion on the other end of the ice to tie the score. Luce’s goal was the last goal of the first period, leaving things tied 1-1 heading into the second. Worcester outshot Trois-Rivières 14-7.  

The Railers started the second period on the power play following a delay of game penalty late in the first. Only 32 seconds into the second period Mason Klee (1st) skated in on the net and got one by Hunter Jones of the Lions. The Railers had another opportunity to score late in the second on as Matthew Kopperud found the back of the net, but his goal was called back. Klee’s goal would be the lone score of the second period. There were no penalties and Worcester outshot Trois-Rivières 8-4. 

Scoring came early and often in the third. The Railers started things off by extending their lead to 3-1 when Jack Randl (1st) scored on a backhand dish from Matthew Kopperud. At 10:15 in the third Trois Rivières cut into the Railers lead with a power play goal from Brycen Martin making it 3-2. Right after the Martin goal, Xavier Cormier got a turnover in the neutral zone and dished it across to Jacob Perreault for the one timer goal. Neither team was able to break the tie before the third came to an end. Worcester and Trois-Rivières were tied in shots in the third 10-10.  

It took nearly the entire overtime period, but the Railers got the game winner off the stick of Matthew Kopperud (1st). With just 31 seconds to go in the overtime period Matthew Kopperud and Connor Welsh went on the rush, while Kopperud finished off Welsh's shot that hit the post to get it past Jones to win the game 4-3. Shots in overtime favored Trois-Rivières 5-4 and favored Worcester on the game 36-26.  

Notes: 

Three Stars: 3rd Star: Cam McDonald (0-2-2, +1, 1 shot), 2nd Star: Xavier Cormier (1-1-2, +1, 1 shot), 1st Star: Matthew Kopperud (1-1-2, +2, 3 shots)… Final shots were 36-26 in favor of Worcester… Hunter Jones (0-0-1) made 32 saves on 36 shots for Trois-Rivières… Micheal Bullion (1-1-0) made 23 saves on 26 shots for Worcester, while Henrik Tikkanen served as the backup… Worcester went 1-for-5 on the power play while Trois-Rivières went 1-for-1… Andrei Bakanov (DNP), Griffin Loughran (IR), Ryan Dickinson (IR), Cole Crowder (DNP), and John Muse (DNP) did not dress for Worcester… Four different Railers scored for Worcester… Anthony Repaci led the Railers in shots with 9… The Railers are now 15-13-2-0 all-time vs. The Lions and 9-6-1-0 at the Colisèe Vidèotron against Trois-Rivières. 

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