Heartbreaking loss in Worcester

Friday night saw the Lions traveling south to Worcester, Massachusetts to face the Railers at the DCU
Center. Going into the game the Railers were only a single point behind Trois-Rivières in the standings,
so clearly Worcester was out to leapfrog the Lions. Joe Vrbetic was Lions’ head coach Ron Choules’ pick
to start in goal, despite the 6-1 defeat he suffered at Colisée Vidéotron on Wednesday against the
Adirondack Thunder. John Muse got his third start of the season in goal for the Railers after having only
surrendered one goal in his first two games.
Although the first 10 minutes of the opening period was dominated by the Lions, it was Railers forward
Joey Cipollone who was first to find the back of the net when he beat Vrbetic with the first shot on goal
registered by Worcester. The Lions did have two quality scoring chances in the period, but Muse was up
to the challenge both times.
The Lions roared back in the second period courtesy of two goals by Matthew Boucher, giving Trois-
Rivières a 2-1 lead. The Railers tied the game at 2-2, but the Lions finished the period in style by scoring
with an extra man on the ice due to a delayed penalty call against Worcester to take a 3-2 lead.
The Lions then had a two-goal lead in the third period with a power play marker from Alex-Olivier Voyer.
The Railers stormed back, however, scoring two late goals to knot the score at 4-4, the second of the two
coming with only 49 seconds remaining in regulation time. The overtime period was scoreless, and it was
the Railers who ultimately registered a 5-4 shootout win.