Worcester forces game four with win in Hershey

Making his first professional playoff start, Worcester Sharks goaltender Troy Grosenick made 27 saves to help lead the Sharks to a 4-1 game three win over the Hershey Bears at the Giant Center Wednesday night.

The Sharks, who entered the game having scored a total of two goals in the series, got goals from forwards Chris Tierney, Ryan Carpenter, Micheal Haley and defenseman Taylor Fedun. In addition, nine different skaters registered a point for the Sharks, who will look to even the series up at two games a piece Friday night.

Though the Sharks outshot the Bears 9-8 in the opening period, it was the Bears that took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission as forward Liam O’Brien followed up linemate Garrett Mitchell’s strong move to the net and fired the puck past Grosenick from on top of the crease at 3:13 for his first career playoff goal.

In the second period, the Sharks outshot the Bears 19-8, and Tierney got the equalizing goal at 1:01 off a tap in on the right side of the crease after taking a quick touch across the slot pass from linemate Daniil Tarasov for a power play goal, Tierney’s first goal and point of the playoffs. Sharks defenseman Dylan DeMelo had the secondary assist.

Nearly three minutes later at 3:55, Carpenter battled for a loose puck on top of the Bears crease and was eventually able to fire the puck past Bears goaltender Phenoix Copely while on one knee for his first goal of the playoffs, which held up as the game-winning-goal. Carpenter’s linemates Eriah Hayes and Haley were credited with the assists.

The Bears turned up the pressure in the third period as they outshot the Sharks 12-5 but Grosenick turned all 12 shots aside to preserve the Sharks’ lead. At 5:37, Fedun got the Sharks an insurance goal with a howitzer one-timer from on top of the right faceoff circle for a 5-on-3 power play goal, his first goal of the playoffs and the Sharks’ first 5-on-3 goal of the season. Tierney and Sharks defenseman Karl Stollery registered the assists.

With Copley pulled for the extra attacker inside the final two minutes of the period, Haley sealed a Sharks win by firing the puck into the open net at 19:53 for his second goal of the playoffs.

NOTES… Shots on goal were 33-28 in favor of the Sharks… The Sharks went 2-for-6 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill… Carpenter had a game high five shots on goal… Tierney and Haley each had a two point game with a goal and assist… This was the Sharks’ first playoff win since a 3-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs back on May 1, 2010… Game four will be Friday night (May 1) at 7:00 p.m/et.

THREE STARS
1. Chris Tierney – Sharks (1-1-2)
2. Ryan Carpenter – Sharks (1-0-1, GWG)
3. Micheal Haley – Sharks (1-1-)

LINES
Tarasov / Tierney / Lerg (C)
Goldobin / Trupp / Goodrow
Haley (A) / Carpenter / Hayes
Schwartz / Oleksuk / Langlois

DEFENSE
Taormina (A) / Tennyson
Stollery / DeMelo
Young / Fedun

GOALIES
Grosenick
Dell

SCRATCHES
Anderson
Bergman
Bonneau
Ciampini
Doherty
Doremus
Ryan
Willows
Coetzee (inj)
Emanuelsson (inj)
McCarthy (inj)
Parkes (inj)