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ECHL Worcester Railers HC

Railers Increase Win Streak to Four Games with 6-2 Win over Utah

February 20, 2022 - ECHL (ECHL)
Worcester Railers HC News Release


Worcester Railers celebrate a goal against the Utah Grizzlies
Worcester Railers celebrate a goal against the Utah Grizzlies
(Worcester Railers HC)

West Valley City, UT - The Worcester Railers HC (20-19-2-1, 43pts) beat the Utah Grizzlies (29-17-2-1, 61pts), on Saturday night by the final score of 6-2 in front of a crowd of 5,445 at the Maverik Center. The Railers are back at the Maverik Center again against the Utah Grizzlies on Monday, February 21st at 3:10 p.m. EST.

It was Utah who struck first this time around, as Quinn Ryan (1-0-1) gave the Grizzlies the 1-0 lead midway through the first on a lone breakaway down ice. The Railers responded in the second with a goal from each Anthony Repaci (1-0-1) and Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman (2-0-2) to take the 2-1 lead heading into the third. Worcester scored four straight goals to open the third period, as Lavallee-Smotherman scored his second of the night just 50 seconds into the frame, making it a 3-1 game. Blake Christensen (1-0-1), Liam Coughlin (1-1-2), and J. Hayhurst (1-0-1) would each follow suit with a goal apiece to put Worcester up 6-1. Utah got a goal late in the third, as the game came to a 6-2 close.

The Grizzlies picked up the game's first goal at 7:47 into the opening frame. Nate Clurman left a stretch pass perfectly for Quinn Ryan (11th), who broke down ice and beat Colten Ellis in alone to make it a 1-0 game. Neither team would find the back of the net for the rest of the period, as the frame ended with Utah up 1-0. No penalties were called in the period, while Utah outshot Worcester 10-8.

Worcester didn't wait long to tie the game in the second. Anthony Repaci (16th) finished an odd-man breakaway for the second straight night just 3:46 into the frame to put the Railers on the board and tie the game 1-1. Utah found themselves with a two-man advantage midway through the period, but Worcester was able to kill off the opportunity to keep it a tie game. Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman (20th) broke down the left side with 1:59 to go in the period, and unleashed a wrist shot on Miner that he then followed up to put Worcester ahead for good, 2-1. Worcester outshot Utah 13-11 in the period, while shots were nodded up at 21 through two.

The Railers opened the floodgates in the third period as they scored four unanswered goals to open the third period, and extend their lead to 6-1. First, it was Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman (21st) who wrapped the puck around the cage and tucked it nearside just 50 seconds into the period to record his second of the game and put the Railers up 3-1. 2:43 later, on the power play, Blake Christensen (9th) blasted a one-time feed on an odd man rush from Nolan Vesey past Trent Miner to push the Worcester lead to 4-1. 2:05 after the Christensen goal, again on the man-advantage, it was Liam Coughlin (6th) who had a perfect deflection out in front on a blast from Nick Albano to make it 5-1. After allowing his fifth goal of the night on 28 shots, the Grizzlies pulled goaltender Trent Miner and put in Peyton Jones in relief. The Railers weren't done yet, as Jacob Hayhurst (9th) found the puck along the near side while shorthanded, and blazed down the right side to score Worcester's fourth shorthanded goal of the season, and second shorthanded goal in as many days to give the Railers a 6-1 lead. Utah would get one back as Zac Robbins (7th) redirected a quick shot from the left side from Tyler Penner to give the game its final score of 6-2. Shots in the third favored Worcester 16-8, and in the game favored the Railers 37-29.

Notes:

Three Stars: 3rd Star: Liam Coughlin (1-1-2, +1, 1 shot), 2nd Star: Colten Ellis (27 saves, 2GA, .931 SV%), 1st Star: Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman (2-0-2, +1, 10 shots)... Final shots were 37-29 in favor of Worcester... Trent Miner (11-7-4) made 23 saves on 28 shots, while Peyton Jones made 8 saves on 9 shots for Utah... Colten Ellis (11-3-2) made 27 saves on 29 shots for Worcester, while Jimmy Poreda served as the backup... Worcester went 2-for-4 on the power play while Utah went 0-for-3... Worcester is (9-2-1) in their last 11 games outscoring their opposition 53-32... The Railers have scored a goal on the power-play in four straight games (6/15, 40%)... Worcester has now scored short-handed goals in back-to-back games and are (22/25, 88%) over the last six games... Anthony Repaci has goals in three straight games and increased his point streak to four games (3-2-5)... Reece Newkirk notched his second straight multi-point game with two assists... Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman tallied his team leading 11th multi-point game of the season and his seventh multi-goal game of the year... Will Cullen (DNP), Ethan Price (DNP), Chris Ordoobadi (DNP), Matt Sredl (DNP), John Furgele (IR), Bobby Butler (IR), and Grant Jozefek (IR) did not dress for Worcester... Five different Railers scored for Worcester... Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman recorded his team leading 12th multi-point game of the season... Reece Newkirk is now on a four-game point streak... Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman led the Railers in shots with 10... The Railers are now 4-0-1-0 all-time vs. the Grizzlies and 3-0-1-0 at the Maverik Center against Utah.

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Worcester Railers celebrate a goal against the Utah Grizzlies
Worcester Railers celebrate a goal against the Utah Grizzlies
   



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