KEELEY: MARINERS MOVE INTO PLAYOFF SPOT WITH SECOND STRAIGHT SHOOTOUT WIN
Cammarata wins it in round five and Mariners sweep road series
BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners
GLENS FALLS, NY – December 21, 2019 – For the second night in a row, the Maine Mariners topped the Adirondack Thunder 4-3 in a shootout at the Cool Insuring Arena. Taylor Cammarata’s goal in the fifth round sealed the win, putting the Mariners into fourth place in the North Division for the first time since late October. The Mariners also won their sixth straight overtime or shootout game, giving them a remarkable 19-2-2 all-time record beyond regulation.
Adirondack scored the only two goals of the opening period to jump out to the early lead. At 6:27, Casey Pierro-Zabotel took a drop pass from James Henry and blasted a one-timer off the rush past Mariners netminder Francois Brassard. At 11:36, the Thunder capitalized on a Mariners turnover and Matt Salhany set up Mike Szmatula for a shot between Brassard’s pads.
The Mariners began their comeback at the 4:46 mark of the second period when Zach Tolkinen’s long shot beat Joe Murdaca through a Taylor Cammarata screen. Morgan Adams-Moisan and Cammarata assisted. Six minutes later, Dillan Fox tied the game, driving and wide and laying a shot past the stick side of Murdaca. Sean Day and Adams-Moisan set up the game-tying goal.
Entering the third tied at three, the Mariners got an early power play chance and converted to take their first lead. Alex Kile slid a pass from the right circle to the back door on the other side and Terrence Wallin on a second effort slid it over the line for a 3-2 Mariners advantage. Day picked up his second assist as Wallin extended his point streak to eight games. Adirondack, just like Friday night, would tie the game late, with the extra attacker. Pierro Zabotel had two chances to knock a loose puck past Brassard’s pad, and finished the second to force overtime.
A wild 3-on-3 session saw both teams get a power play, but the goaltenders and penalty killers held strong, forcing the teams to their second consecutive shootout. The first Mariners shooter, Michael McNicholas beat Murdaca with a deke, but Pierro-Zabotel immediately responded to tie it up. After two rounds of no goals, Alex Tonge’s crossbar hit was followed by Cammarata’s stick-side wrister to end the game.
The Mariners are 6-0-1 in overtime/shootout this season, winning their last six consecutive. Brassard made 38 saves to earn his second win while Murdaca turned aside 28. The Mariners and Thunder now each have 29 points in a tie for fourth place, but the Mariners carry the tiebreaker with point percentage, heading into the holiday break.
The Mariners return home after the holiday for games on December 26th and 27th to host Adirondack and the Reading Royals. Thursday, December 26th is a 7 PM face-off and is Nickelodeon Takeover Night featuring Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Specialty Jerseys. The puck drops at 7:15 PM on Friday, December 27th and is STEM Night – focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It’s also a 1-2-3 Friday, featuring $1 Aquafina water, $2 Pepsi products, and $3 Bud Lights through the start of the 2nd period. Both games also feature the “Skate and Scarf” package, where fans can get a ticket to the game, a Mariners scarf, and a pre-game skate with Beacon the Puffin plus a snack buffet. Only 100 packages are available for each game.
Groups of 10 or more can get discounted tickets to all games by calling 833-GO-MAINE. Individual tickets can be purchased at MarinersOfMaine.com, at the Trusted Choice Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena, or by calling 207-775-3458. Four tiers of holiday packs for all gift-giving budgets are also available at MarinersOfMaine.com/shop.
