Falcons Fall Short in Comeback Bid at Worcester

Published on October 24, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Worcester, MA – The Springfield Falcons cut a four-goal deficit to one, but eventually fell to the Worcester IceCats by a score of 5-3 at Worcester's Centrum Centre on Friday evening. Springfield right wing Peter Ferraro scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Falcons rally. However, former Falcon Steve Martins' empty-net goal with 22.8 seconds remaining sealed Springfield's fate.

Springfield forward Frank Banham scored in his first game of the season while rookie left wing Mike Stutzel collected assists on each of Ferraro's goals for his first points as a professional. Falcons goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier stopped 23 of 27 shots in the loss.

With the Falcons trailing 4-0. Ferraro collected a bouncing puck to the right of Worcester netminder Rienhard Divis and lifted a shot into the top of the net to put Springfield on the board with 3:17 remaining in the second period.

The Falcons forced and then took advantage of an IceCats turnover in their own end to score again 2:03 later. After thwarting a clearing attempt by the Worcester defense, Springfield center Erik Westrum gained control of the puck inside the IceCats' blue line and fed Ferraro. Ferraro, who found himself one-on-one with Divis, stickhandled around the IceCats goaltender for his third goal of the season.

Springfield pulled to within a goal on Banham's tally with 8:27 remaining in regulation. During a Falcons' power play, Divis stopped consecutive shots by Ferraro and Jeff Taffe before Banham knocked in the rebound. Banham had missed Springfield's first four games of the season with an injury.

Falcons head coach Marty McSorley pulled Pelletier from the Springfield net for an extra attacker during a stoppage in play with 1:07 left in the game. After Taffe rushed to the boards to keep the puck in the Falcons' offensive zone, Martins gained control and quickly launched a 140-foot wrist shot into the back of Springfield's empty goal.

The IceCats grabbed a 3-0 lead in the opening frame with goals on the team's first three power-play opportunities. Worcester center Jeff Panzer opened scoring 6:50 into the game by lifting a shot over Pelletier's left leg pad after a rebound had squirted away from the Falcons goaltender.

Worcester struck again when forward Marc Brown skated out of the right wing corner with the puck and fed defenseman Aaron MacKenzie, who had cut to the net. MacKenzie redirected the puck into the goal from the top of the crease at the 12:28 mark for his first goal of the campaign.

After collecting assists on each of Worcester's opening pair of goals, Brown scored one of his own with a spin-around wrist shot from between the face-off circles with 3:34 remaining in the first period.

Defenseman Trevor Byrne capped an IceCats' rush with a shot that found the net for Worcester's fourth unanswered goal at 8:09 of the second period.

Worcester's Brown and Panzer each finished the game with three points on a goal and two assists. Divis made 33 saves in the ‘Cats net. Westrum collected two assists for the Falcons.

Springfield outshot the IceCats, 36-28. However, the Falcons were one-for-six with the man advantage while Worcester converted three of their four power-play chances.

The Falcons will visit the Albany River Rats on Saturday in a 7:00 pm contest. The game will not be carried on The ZONE – Sports Radio 640 due to the station broadcasting the New York Yankees' World Series game.

The Falcons will return to the Springfield Civic Center to face the Norfolk Admirals on Wednesday, October 29th. For ticket information, call the Falcons team office at (413) 739-3344.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 24, 2003


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