VERSUS 
Offense explodes as Mariners split preseason weekend
BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners
EXETER, NH – October 7, 2018 – After being shut out by Worcester on Saturday night, the Mariners bounced back in a big way with a 5-2 preseason victory on Sunday afternoon against the Manchester Monarchs at The Rinks at Exeter in Exeter, New Hampshire. Five different Mariners scored goals, while Chris Nell and Connor LaCouvee combined to turn aside 36 of 38 Monarchs shots.
The Mariners were met with an early barrage of shots from Manchester but starting goaltender Chris Nell kept the game scoreless until Maine forward Ryan Badger got the game’s first goal at 10:48 of the opening period. Biddeford native Trevor Fleurent moved the puck to linemate Tyler Maltby who worked wide on the Manchester defenseman and slipped a pass to Badger who lifted a shot past the glove of Monarchs net-minder Charles Williams. At 17:23, the Mariners doubled their lead when defenseman John Furgele wristed home a power play goal, assisted by Brady Vail and Dwyer Tschantz. The Mariners took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
At 7:43 of the second period, Drew Melanson upped the score to 3-0 with a top-shelf wrister off the rush, set up by linemates Riley Bourbonnais and Jason Salvaggio. The Mariners then began to run away with the game when their power play converted again at 12:28. Garrett Cecere teed up Salvaggio for a one-timer that Mike Marnell redirected on the top of the goal crease past Williams to stretch the lead to 4-0. Manchester would finally get on the board at 15:01 of the frame as Spencer Watson beat Nell with a backhand in the slot. Maine reclaimed its four-goal advantage in the final minute of the period when Dwyer Tschantz got a fortunate bounce off the end boards after his initial shot went wide but caromed off Williams’ equipment and across the goal line. Marnell and Ryan Ferrill picked up assists on Tschantz’s goal at 19:23.
The Mariners sat back a bit in the third, getting outshot 18-5 in the period, but goaltender Connor LaCouvee was fantastic, allowing only a power play goal to Stepan Falkovsky at 9:37. Nell stopped 19 of 20 shots, while LaCouvee turned aside 17 of 18 in the win. Williams made 14 saves on 19 shots in the loss.
The Mariners next action is the season opener Saturday night, October 13th against the Adirondack Thunder at the Cross Insurance Arena. The puck drops at 6:00 PM, with doors opening at 5:00. Tickets can be purchased on MarinersOfMaine.com or by visiting the Trusted Choice Box office inside the arena. Fans call also call the box office at (207) 775-3458. The Mariners are ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. The ECHL is the premier AA hockey league in the United States.
