Opportunistic Railers Trek Past Icemen

WORCESTER, MA – The Jacksonville Icemen posted a season high 43 shots, but fall to the Worcester Railers 6-3 at the DCU Center Sunday afternoon.

Shortly before the six-minute mark of the opening period, Jacksonville recorded the game’s first goal.  Pierre-Luc Mercier battled to the top of the crease and slipped a shot on goal that was initially stopped by Worcester goaltender Ian Milosz. However the rebound bounded to Milosz’s left and Mercier scooped the puck back up and floated a tough-angled shot over the diving Milosz.  Jacksonville would eventually take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

The Icemen opened the second period with 46-seconds of power play time.  However, the Railers would be the team to take advantage.  Nic Pierog poked the puck away from an Icemen player at the point and took off on a shorthanded breakaway.  Pierog snapped a shot over the shoulder of Icemen netminder Griffen Outhouse to tie the game at one. 

Worcester capitalized on a second Icemen miscue to take a 2-1 lead with four minutes remaining in the second period.  A turnover by Jacksonville on a breakout pass was intercepted by Ben Thompson who fired a shot on a goal.  The rebound kicked out to Drew Callin who put the puck into the net behind Outhouse. 

Nearly a minute later, Worcester extended their lead to 3-1.  A shot from the point hit off a man in front and bounced directly to Shane Walsh on the backside the crease.  Walsh easily took advantage of the fortuitous bounce for the go-ahead marker. 

In the third, Chase Harrison skated the puck behind the net and finished off a wraparound attempt when he stuffed the puck inside the post behind Milosz to pull Jacksonville within one. 

The Railers seized control of the game when Ross Olsson scored two goals in a 17-second span. The first came off the rebound on a power play, while the second banked off the back dasher and deflected perfectly in front to Olsson on the backside post.  Olsson immediately batted the puck into the Icemen net for his second tally to put the score at 5-2. 

The Icemen quickly countered when Mercier netted his second goal of the contest just 23 seconds later to pull Jacksonville within one.  The Icemen were relentless in their attack in the third period, outshooting Worcester 22-8 in the final stanza, but Milosz was able to turn 21 of those shots aside.  Worcester sealed the game in the final minute with an empty net tally to take the game by its final score of 6-3. 

The Icemen will close out the seven-game road stretch on Friday at Atlanta.  Game time is set for 7:35 p.m.  Fans can catch all game broadcasts at www.mixlr.com/jaxicemen or watch the game online at ECHL.TV

---Flexible ticket packages and discounted group tickets are on sale now.  Contact 904-602-7825 for more information.  The Icemen are back on home ice on January 11 against the Brampton Beast.  To purchase tickets CLICK HERE

The 2019-20 Jacksonville Icemen Season is Presented by Community First Credit Union

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