Amerks' Point Streak Ends in 4-1 Loss at Hamilton
February 18, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
(Hamilton, ON)... Nick Sorkin's seventh goal of the season just 25 seconds into the second period proved to be the winner as the Rochester Americans fell to the Hamilton Bulldogs by a 4-1 score Wednesday night at the FirstOntario Centre. The loss snaps Rochester's season-long seven-game point streak as the Amerks fall to 22-27-4-0 on the season.
Brayden Irwin scored the lone Amerks goal for the second straight game, extending his goal-scoring streak to three games in the process, while Phil Varone and Jake McCabe both earned assists on the goal. Matt Hackett started for the third time in four games, stopping 25 of Hamilton's 28 shots in the losing effort.
Davis Drewiske recorded two assists, while Sven Andrighetto, Sorkin, T.J. Hensick and Jake Dowell each increased their goal totals by one. Hamilton goalie Joey MacDonald played big when he needed to, stopping 32 of Rochester's 33 shots.
The first period saw plenty of chances but only one goal with Hackett and MacDonald keeping the game scoreless until the Bulldogs broke the tie 17:55 into the period. Daniel Carr led an odd-man break up the left wing and found the trailing Andrighetto, who deposited it past a diving Hackett to put Hamilton up 1-0.
Hamilton doubled its lead just 25 seconds into the second when Drewiske found Gabriel Dumont high in the Bulldogs zone. Dumont moved the puck up, and fed a pass through the Amerks defense to a streaking Sorkin. Sorkin got in alone on Hackett, dragged to Hackett's right and slid the puck into the open side of the net.
The Amerks cut the lead in half at 14:58 of the second after Varone found Irwin waiting at the top of the crease. McCabe worked the puck down low to Varone, who skated down below the goal-line. Just as Bobby Shea was stepping out of the box, Varone put one on Irwin's tape and he was able to one-time the offer over MacDonald's glove for his 11th of the season.
Hamilton went up by two at the 18:18 mark of the second thanks to Hensick. Darren Dietz moved the puck along the blueline to Drayson Bowman, who then fed Hensick low in the right corner. Hensick walked out of the corner and waited for Hackett to drop before picking the upper corner over Hackett's glove to make it 3-1 just as Matt MacKenzie stepped out of the penalty box.
The third period featured some big saves from MacDonald, who stopped all 12 shots he faced to keep the Amerks off the board. The veteran netminder's best save of the night came off a Brodie Reid chance as Reid took a pass in the low slot with no Hamilton defender in front of him, but MacDonald flashed the glove and kept it out.
With 1:45 remaining in the third and the Amerks on the power-play, Rochester pulled Makarov for the two-man advantage, but any hope of a comeback was dashed away when Dowell picked up a loose puck and iced the game with an empty-netter from just inside his blueline.
The Amerks are back home on Friday, Feb. 20 when they welcome the defending Calder Cup champion Texas Stars for the only time this season. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will be the second and final meeting between the two teams this season and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester.
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