RAILERS COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN 5-2 LOSS TO LIONS

By Bill Ballou

WORCESTER – A poor first period cost Worcester the game Saturday night as they fell to the Trois-Rivieres Lions, 5-2. The Lions had a 3-0 lead before the game was seven minutes old and took a 4-1 advantage into the second period.

The Railers never recovered.

Worcester’s goals Saturday night were scored by Griffin Luce and Andrei Bakanov. The Lions had two players score two goals. Nicolas Guay was one, the final goal shorthanded and into an empty net. Anthony Beauchamp also had a pair.

Tommy Cormier scored the Lions’ other goal.

Michael Bullion had 32 saves for the Railers, Luke Cavallin 27 for Trois-Rivieres.

The Lions had Worcester backpedaling right from the opening faceoff.

Guay scored at 1:29 after Trois-Rivieres entered the zone via a 2 on 1. Bullion made two saves before Guay slid in a short shot. Cormier made it 2-0 at 5:40 just two seconds before a delay of game penalty to Bakanov was about to end.

Beauchamp got his first of the period at 6:54 on a wrist shot from about 12 feet out. He scored again at 13:58 as Worcester gave up another 2 on 1. Beauchamp beat Bullion with a high wrist shot from the left circle.

Luce gave the Railers some life before the period ended with his second goal of the season. It was a low wrist shot from just inside the blue line.

Bakanov’s goal came on a rebound of a shot by Kolby Johnson at 13:14 of the second period and Worcester was within range. The Lions played conservatively after that, though, and preserved their lead with Guay hitting an empty net as the Railers skated on a power play.

MAKING TRACKS – The Lions are in for another game here at 3:05 Sunday afternoon. … The Railers had an active roster week. They released rookie Cole Crowder and traded experienced defenseman Ryan Verrier to Orlando for veteran blueliner Andrew Nielsen. He is expected to join the team on its upcoming road trip to Wichita. … J.D. Dudek and Matt DeMelis did not play for Worcester. … A salute to the Burgess Elementary Band for performing the season’s best, to date, Star Spangled Banner. … Please, ECHL linesmen, listen to the fans and drop the puck. Some of these violations are the equivalent of giving a ticket to someone driving 66 on the Mass Pike. … Attendance was 4,759 on Hometown Heroes Night. The Railers have a nice 4,560 average through six home games. … The goaltender matchup, Bullion versus Cavallin, marked the first time in Railers history two goalies who catch right-handed faced each other. It had not happened in Worcester pro history since Jan. 21, 2015 when Sharks goalie J.P. Anderson beat Louis Domingue of Portand, 3-2, in Maine. The last time it happened at the DCU Center was Dec. 14, 2014. Anderson blanked the Pirates and Mike McKenna, 1-0.

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