WORCESTER  – Back on home ice and back in 4^th place in the Atlantic Division after Sunday’s victory at Lowell, the Sharks defeated the Houston Aeros by a score of 3-2 on Wednesday night in the teams’ first meeting of the season. 

 

Early skating featured two power plays for Worcester and a bounty of quality scoring chances.  Dieter Kochan, playing in just his third game in net for Houston, came up with two huge saves before Sharks defenseman Brad Staubitz opened the scoring with his first professional career goal.  Staubitz finished off the second Sharks man advantage after Kochan allowed a backside rebound on a shot from Josh Prudden with just over eight minutes remaining in the period. 

 

A holding the stick penalty against the Aeros gave Worcester a chance to increase their lead, but it was the visitors that capitalized when Joel Ward beat Sharks netminder Dimitri Patzold on a transition breakaway with 3:18 left in the first.  The goal was Houston’s fourth shorthanded tally in as many games and knotted the score at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

 

Offense was extremely sparse through the second period for the Sharks, as they managed just a single shot on net through the first 11 minutes of the frame, a stretch during which Patzold made six saves.  Overall, an uneventful 20 minutes saw just three Sharks shots on net and a combined four scoreless power plays.

 

Things changed quickly for Worcester in the third.  After his initial shot was saved by Kochan, the Sharks’ Mike Iggulden found his own rebound and beat the Houston goaltender to the high glove side, giving Worcester a 2-1 lead just 1:57 into the final period.  Moments later, Patzold preserved the lead with a full-extension stop on a breakaway by Aeros winger Matt Foy.  Houston would answer back to erase the lead shortly after, however, when Foy threaded a centering feed toward centerman Jason Morgan that deflected off a defensive skate into the net, giving Foy his team-leading 17^th goal of the year and tying the game again, this time at 2-2. 

 

Worcester responded again, breaking a tie for the third time in the game with just 2:27 left to play.  Sharks newcomer Sean Collins led a rush into the Houston zone and fed the puck wide to Tom Cavanagh.  The pair each picked up an assist when Cavanagh found a trailing Tomas Plihal, who buried the gamewinner past Kochan from between the faceoff circles.  Heavy pressure from the Sharks prevented Houston from generating a single shot for the remainder of the game, securing the victory for Worcester.

 

The Sharks continue a four game homestand on Friday evening with a 7:00 contest against the Binghamton Senators at the DCU Center.  As with all Friday home games, this Friday night is College Night, with $8 tickets for college students with ID.  Friday’s game will also be televised on WCTR TV-3, with commentary from Jamie Smock and Kevin Shea.  For more information on Sharks ticketing and promotions, visit the Sharks’ website at www.sharksahl.com or call the team office at (508) 929-0500.