Whale Top Pirates

Published on February 5, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Portland Pirates News Release


Portland, ME - Chad Kolarik scored twice and Tim Kennedy and Evgeny Grachev chipped in two assists each as the Connecticut Whale defeated the Portland Pirates 4-3 in an American Hockey League game played this evening in front of 5,709 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Jason Williams and Kris Newbury each contributed to the Connecticut effort with a goal as the Whale improved their record to 24-20-2-5.

AHL leading goal scorer Mark Mancari put away his 28th of the season, and Justin Bowers and Dennis McCauley also scored as Portland dropped to 29-15-4-1 on the season.

Mancari got the hosts on the board first on a shorthanded breakaway goal at the 9:12 mark of the first period. The two teams would alternate goals throughout the second period, as Williams beat Portland goaltender Jhonas Enroth on a redirect only five minutes into the period. Bowers answered on a feed from McCauley and Matt Ellis a minute later at the 6:51 mark, but the Whale would tie the game again on the first of two Kolarik goals 56 seconds after Bowers' tally. McCauley gave the Pirates their final lead of the game with just under eight minutes remaining, until Kolarik beat Enroth for a second time at 18:40 to give the game its third tie. In the only scoring of the third period, Newbury sent Connecticut home with a victory with a power-play goal at the 2:40 mark.

The Whale out-shot the Pirates 29-25 as Dov Grumet-Morris earned his first AHL victory of the season in three total appearances to boost his record to 1-1-0 and Enroth dropped to 16-14-1 on the season.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from Connecticut: 1. Kolarik, 2. Grachev and 3. Kennedy.

Tomorrow afternoon the Pirates will be back in action as they travel down to the XL Center in Hartford, CT for a rematch with the Whale at 3 p.m. In the upcoming week, Portland will continue on the road against Manchester on Friday, February 11th at 7 p.m. and against Bridgeport on Sunday, February 13th at 3:00 p.m. The games can be heard live on 95.5 News Talk WLOB or on-line at www.portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes prior to the opening faceoff.

The Pirates will be back in action at the Civic Center on Wednesday, February 16th at 6:30 p.m. against the Providence Bruins. Snoopy will be making a special appearance at the game, and kids can meet and have their pictures taken with the famous Peanuts beagle courtesy of MetLife Auto and Home. Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2011


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