WORCESTER THRILLS IN 6-5 OVERTIME WIN OVER ADMIRALS

By Bill Ballou

WORCESTER – For the Railers, these were two points well taken.

Behind for much of Friday night to one of the league’s best teams, they scored two goals early in the third period to jump ahead, then gave up a late one to fall back into a 5-5 tie with the Norfolk Admirals.

Then Riley Piercey won it, 6-5, at 2:07 of overtime to give Worcester two enormous points, perhaps two more than it expected to collect after 40 minutes of play.

It was a best-case scenario triumph. The Reading Royals lost to Trois-Rivieres, 5-3, so the Railers have regained sole possession of fourth place in the North Division. They have 62 points. Reading has 60 and two games in hand, but Friday night’s victory makes that math infinitely more manageable.

“I’m proud of our guys for not getting frustrated,” coach Nick Tuzzolino said. “The games we’re playing now, even when we got into overtime it’s like — hey, that’s a big one point.

“Could we have gotten two in regulaion? Maybe, but at the end of the day that team over there has a say in what happens. They’re gearing up for the playoffs, they have a lot of new bodies and they have a lot of compete. For us, from here on out, every game is like do or die.”

Worcester’s comebacks to tie were 1-1, 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4. Griffin Loughran gave the Railers their first lead at 5-4 at 5:40 of the third period. German Yavash made it 5-5 at 15:45, then Piercey won it.

As often happens in these OTs, the goal was set up by a great save by a goalie, this time Worcester’s Michael Bullion. He stopped a platinum-grade chance on a shot from the right circle then the Railers took control.

Piercey scored on a high 35-footer from between the circles. He was set up by newcomer Pito Walton. He did a O-zone orbit and his pass freed up Piercey for the open shot.

It was the Railers’ sixth overtime victory of the season.

Worcester may actually have won the game with something it did not do, as opposed to something it did do. The Railers killed five penalties and did not allow a goal. That included a two-man down situation midway through the second period that lasted for 1:15.

A Norfolk goal there would have put the Admirals ahead, 4-2. Worcester has not allowed a power play goal in five straight games, going 16 for 16 during that streak.

The Railers got goals from six different players.

They were Tyler Kobryn, Cole Donhauser, Anthony Repaci, Connor Welsh, Loughran and Piercey. Walton, Repaci and Callin had two assists each. Welsh and Dohauser were both 1-1-2.

For Norfolk, Andrei Bakanov scored twice for the second straight night. Yavash had two goals as well and Gehrett Sargis scored once. Grant Hebert had three assists.

Bullion got the win in the Railers net. He made 23 saves. The Railers finally solved Thomas Milic, who faced 37 shots. Milic allowed six goals in this game after surrending seven total in his three previous starts versus Worcester.

They did it Friday night with relentless pressure.

“First shot goalie,” Tuzzolino said of Milic, “he’s probably one of the best we’ve seen, with the exception of (Luke) Cavallin who we saw in Trois-Rivieres.”

The teams finish the three-in-three series at 6:05 Saturday night. Reading once again is home against Trois-Rivieres. Once again, the Railers and Royals are both playing for their playoff lives.

MAKING TRACKS – Repaci is 1-3-4 in two games since returning from injured reserve. … Callin is closing in on 20 goals. He has 18 to date and has 34 all-time. That is fifth on the Railers’ all-time list, one behind Brent Beaudoin. … Worcester was 2 for 5 on the power play and has eight power play goals in its last nine games. … Kobryn has given the Railers a big offensive boost. He has six goals in 14 games since coming to town. … Attendance was 2,789.

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