Worcester Sharks Weekly Report
October 16, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release
A Quick Look Back
10.13.06 Providence 3 - Worcester 1... The Sharks suffered their first regulation loss of the season Friday night at Providence, 3-1. Netminder Brian Finley was the difference in the game with 24-saves for the Bruins. Mathieu Darche scored the lone goal for the Sharks to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games and leads the squad with four goals.
10.14.06 Portland 5 - Worcester 4 SOL... Worcester dropped their home opener at the DCU Center to the Pirates in a shootout on Saturday night. Defenseman Doug Murray scored for the Sharks to force overtime with just 47 ticks left on the clock. Worcester outshot Portland 4-3 in the overtime, but could not muster a goal. In the shootout, Portland's Pierre Parenteau and Pat Kavanaugh scored to take the extra point. Sharks forward Mike Iggulden finished with a pair of goals.
10.15.06 Worcester 6 - Lowell 2... The Worcester Sharks bounced back from a heart breaking loss on Opening Night to their first regulation win of the season at the Paul E. Tsongas Arena on Sunday evening. Sharks forwards Mathieu Darche (2+1=3) and Joe Pavelski (1+2=3) each turned in a three point night, while goaltender Nolan Schaefer made 26 saves for his first win of the season.
Games Ahead
10.20.06 - Worcester @ Providence - Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Sharks will face-off against the Providence Bruins on Friday night for a rematch. Last Friday, the Sharks ran into a hot Brian Finley in the P-Bruins net and lost 3-1. Worcester will look to extend their record to 3-1-0-2.
10.21.06 - Worcester vs. Lowell - DCU Center
Worcester will look for their first win on home ice in their inaugural season when they play host to the Lowell Devils for a 7:05 p.m. start time. The previous meeting between to the two teams saw the Sharks take home a 6-2 win. AHL leading goal scorer Mathieu Darche had two goals and added an assist in the victory.
Swimming the Atlantic
The Sharks have two games against Atlantic Division teams this week. Currently, Worcester is 2-1-0-1 against Atlantic teams thus far this season. Through four games this young season, the Sharks have played all four games against teams within the division. With Providence and Lowell on the docket this week, the Sharks will have played their first six games against teams in the Atlantic. Worcester will not face a non-Atlantic Division team until San Antonio comes to the DCU Center on Friday, November 10.
Shark of the Week
Like he did in the first game in franchise history, Mathieu Darche scored the first goal on DCU Center ice as well at the 18:33 mark of the second period. Darche finished the week with six points (4+2=6) and a plus two rating. The Montreal native pumped in two power play goals during the week as the Sharks improved to 2-1-0-1, good for second in the Atlantic Division. This week marks the second week in a row that the pivotman has been the Shark of the Week. Darche leads all AHL goal scorers with seven goals and is tied for the lead in points with nine (7+2=9).
Rookie of the Week
For the second week in a row, rookie forward Joe Pavelski is tops in his Worcester class as he finished this week with one goal and three assists for four points in three games. Pavelski was plus-two for the week including one power play goal and an insurance goal in the Sharks 6-2 win over Lowell on Sunday. The former Wisconsin Badger is second on the team in scoring with 2+6=8 totals and a plus-3. Pavelski's totals put him atop all rookies in league scoring
Top 10 Countdown...
The Worcester Sharks have three players in the Top 10 American Hockey League Scoring Leaders this week. Defenseman Mathieu Biron checks in at No. 7 with eight points (1+7=8) in five games played. Biron leads all defenseman in the AHL scoring race by five points. Rookie forward Joe Pavelski finds himself at No. 6 with eight points (2+6=8) in five games. Veteran forward Mathieu Darche is at the top of the class with seven goals and two assists for nine points. Stefan Ruzicka from the Philadelphia Phantoms is tied with nine points, but with fewer goals (5).
Streaking...
Mathieu Darche has scored in all five games for the Sharks thus far this season. The gritty forward has two two-goal games and three multiple point games. Darche has four power play goals and one game tying goal on the season.
For Starters...
Netminder Thomas Greiss made his first North American start on Friday, October 13 against the Providence Bruins. Greiss made 25 saves in his professional debut, but could not pick up the win.
Rookie forward Ashton Rome netted his first professional goal of his career on Sunday night against the Lowell Devils in a Sharks 6-2 victory. Rookie defenseman Tom Walsh also picked up his first professional point with an assist on a Tomas Plihal tally, his first of the season.
Worcester picked up their first regulation win of the season on Sunday evening in a 6-2 win over the Lowell Devils. The Sharks spotted Lowell two quick goals, but settled nicely scoring six unanswered goals for the win. Goaltender Nolan Schaefer made his first start of the season and picked up the win with 26 saves.
Thank You Fans...
The Worcester Sharks organization would like to send out a sincere thank you to all fans who attended the Sharks Home Opener on Saturday night. The DCU Center was raucous with a sell out crowd at over 7,200 fans screaming and waving rally towels over their head. It was a fantastic spectacle and hockey is back in WORCESTER!!
Community Corner...
Saturday Oct.28 - Project Smile Annual Halloween and Child Safety Extravaganza (Meet Finz and Shark Staff from 12pm-3pm)
Sunday Oct. 29- 3rd annual Great Pumpkin Nights at the Worcester EcoTarium (Meet Finz and Shark Staff from 6:30-8pm)
Crash The Net
For more information on the Worcester Sharks, you can CRASH THE NET at www.sharksahl.com.
American Hockey League Stories from October 16, 2006
- San Antonio Rampage weekly - San Antonio Rampage
- Marlies loan two players to Columbia Inferno - Toronto Marlies
- Stars tied for first place in AHL - Iowa Chops
- River Rats recall defenseman Chris Lee from ECHL Florida - Albany River Rats
- Knights head home with two more wins - Abbotsford Heat
- Monarchs Report - Manchester Monarchs
- Twin Bill Versus Houston This Weekend - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Bulldogs to host arch rival Toronto, Peoria this weekend - Hamilton Bulldogs
- P-Bruins weekly - Providence Bruins
- Aeros bring back Kochan, member of '03 title team - Houston Aeros
- Crunch Weekly - Syracuse Crunch
- Henrich and Hrdel Reassigned to Chiefs - Springfield Falcons
- Rivermen weekly - Peoria Rivermen
- Wolf Pack Weekly - Connecticut Whale
- Road trip nears end - Houston Aeros
- Moose split home-opening series with Phantoms - Manitoba Moose
- Radulov Named AHL Player of the Week - Milwaukee Admirals
- Milwaukee's Radulov named CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Devils Get First Franchise Victory - Albany Devils
- Admirals Score Two Wins at Scope - Norfolk Admirals
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Wolves Weekly Press Notes - Chicago Wolves
- Sound Tigers Weekly - Bridgeport Islanders
- Wolves Recall Wedderburn - Chicago Wolves
- Worcester Sharks Weekly Report - Worcester Sharks
- Binghamton Senators weekly - Binghamton Senators
- Potter and Lee Assigned to Charlotte - Connecticut Whale
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