Four Rookies Score for Sharks in 5-4 Shootout Loss in Portland

April 8, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release


PORTLAND, ME - The Sharks led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, but fell to the Portland Pirates in the shootout 5-4 at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Saturday night. With the point, Worcester is now seven points away from the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining.

Rookies Nathan Moon, Sena Acolatse, Curt Gogol, and Matt Tennyson scored for Worcester and Harri Sateri made 28 saves in his 10th straight start for Worcester in a game that ended with a wild brawl after the shootout. The Sharks return home to host the Manchester Monarchs on Tuesday night at 7pm at the DCU Center.

The Sharks grabbed a 3-2 lead through 20 minutes in a back and forth wide opening first period. Nathan Moon (12th) broke a ten game goalless drought at 46 seconds to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead after he slammed home a centering pass from Ben Guite past goaltender Peter Mannino. Ethan Werek (9th) tied the score at 1-1 at 4:43 with a deflection past Harri Sateri to get the Pirates on the board. Worcester struck on the power play at 7:12 with Sena Acolatse (6th) sending a laser from down low in the left circle after a terrific feed by Ben Guite at 7:12. Portland would tie the score again with a 5-on-3 power play goal as Nick Ross (4th) sent a blast from the left side into the back of the net at 10:35. Curt Gogol (6th) gave the Sharks their third lead of the period jamming home a loose rebound after an original rush and shot by Tony Lucia at 12:54. Worcester outshot the Pirates 13-10 in the first period.

Portland would tie the score for a third time with the only goal in a relatively quiet middle frame. Defenseman Tyler Eckford (10th) roofed a shot over the shoulder of Sateri from down low after great puck movement on the power play at 4:37. Sateri would stone former Worcester Sharks forward Ashton Rome soon after on a breakaway rush to keep the score tied at 3-3. Portland outshot Worcester 9-8 in the 2nd period.

Each team scored in the third period, with Ethan Werek (10th) putting the Pirates ahead 4-3 at 53 seconds followed by Matt Tennyson (1st) scoring his first professional goal on the power play at 10:26 to tie the score at 4-4 with a quick snap shot from the right wall that snuck through the pads of Peter Mannino. Neither team found the back of the net the rest of the overtime period as the Sharks headed to overtime for the first time in 16 games.

In overtime, Sebastian Stalberg was called for goaltender interference at 3:07 to set up a 4-on-3 Pirates power play. Pirates defenseman David Runblad scored with 12.2 seconds remaining, but the goal was waved off by referee Mark Lemelin as it was ruled that Brett Sterling was in the crease. Sterling was given a ten minute misconduct for arguing the call but was allowed to come back and score the eventual game winner in the shootout.

The Pirates went ahead 2-0 through three rounds of the shootout with goals by Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Brett Sterling. After Sterling scored, he skated by and taunted the Worcester bench which would set up the eventual fireworks after the game. Sena Acolatse was stopped in round 4 by Peter Mannino to give the Pirates a 5-4 win.

After the game, all 40 skaters came together in the Pirates zone with several fights breaking out over the course of a few minutes.

Worcester's record drops to 29-31-4-8, with 70pts and currently in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with 4 games remaining; seven points behind the 8th place Manchester Monarchs.



American Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2012


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