This divisional recap summarizes the North Division teams in the ECHL, focusing on their standings, recent game results, player milestones, and key statistics. We have officially reached the midway point of the ECHL season as the league’s All-Star Break just passed. Along with the break, we also had the jersey reversal dates, as teams will now wear their dark jerseys at home and their lighter jerseys on the road. Let’s take a look at how the teams in the North Division fared in Week 15 of the ECHL season.
Wheeling Nailers (27-10-2-0, 56pts, 1st Place)
The Wheeling Nailers and Kansas City Mavericks squared off this weekend for a three-game set in Wheeling. Wheeling would take the opening game of the series before dropping the next two games to the Mavericks, including giving up seven goals on Saturday night, which was the second time in the month of January that Wheeling has given up seven goals or more to an opponent. On Friday, Taylor Gauthier became the sixth Wheeling goaltender to win at least 40 games as a member of the Nailers. Wheeling will play in Cincinnati on Friday, Fort Wayne on Saturday, and Toledo on Sunday as they begin a four-game road trip.
Trois-Rivieres Lions (25-7-4-1, 55 points, 2nd Place)
The Lions would pick up three out of four points on the weekend as they would suffer and shootout loss to the Admirals on Friday Night and then would pick up a win on Sunday afternoon in Maine. Xavier Cormier and Alex Beaucage both extended their point-streaks to nine games which is the longest active point streak in the ECHL. The Lions will now host Maine on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Norfolk Admirals (24-13-3-0, 51 points, 3rd Place)
The Norfolk Admirals had a busy weekend with a three-in-three, which began in Trois-Rivieres with a 5-4 win in a shootout. Norfolk would then split the two games in Adirondack, as they lost on Saturday, before pulling out a gutsy 4-2 victory on Sunday afternoon as they would play down two skaters for the final 38 minutes of Sunday’s game. Brandon Osmundson now has goals in four straight games for the Admirals and Graham Sward would pick up his first career goal on Sunday afternoon. The Admirals will face Adirondack on Wednesday to wrap up the four-game road trip before hosting the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday and Saturday night.
Armand Klisivitch’s Saturday Night Recap
Armand Klisivitch’s Sunday Afternoon Recap
Reading Royals (17-19-5-1, 40 points, 4th Place)
It was a rough start for the Royals this season, but they seem to have found their groove as they currently have an eight-game point streak in which they have gone 6-0-2. Reading would make their first and only trip down South this season as they would beat the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Friday and Saturday before losing in OT to the South Carolina Stingrays on Sunday. Sam Sedley is currently on a four-game point streak. The Royals will welcome the Adirondack Thunder to town on Saturday and Sunday. Adirondack has won both games this season in Reading.
Jake Farmer’s Friday Night Recap
Worcester Railers (16-19-2-4, 38 points, 5th place)
It would be a tough weekend for the Railers as they would drop both games in Maine this weekend against the Mariners; it was the first time since December 22nd and 27th that the Railers have lost back-to-back games in regulation. It will be another short week for the Railers as they will host Adirondack on Friday before heading back up to Maine for a game on Sunday afternoon.
Sarah Mahannah’s Weekend Recap
Maine Mariners (16-19-3-1, 35 points, 6th place)
It was a busy week for the Mariners and it began on Wednesday as they officially named Wyllum Deveaux as their team captain after beginning the year with a group of alternate captains. Maine would also lose Carter Johnson who decided to take the overseas after playing in 27 games with the Mariners where he had four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 27 games. The Mariners would win the first two games of the weekend before dropping the final game of the weekend against the Lions. For the second time in less than 10 days, the Mariners would finish a period with just one shot on goal. Chase Zieky is currently on a six-game point streak and the Mariners have killed off the last 12 penalties that they’ve committed. Maine will now head out to Trois-Rivieres for games on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday before coming home on Sunday to host Worcester.
Adirondack Thunder (14-20-1-1, 30pts, 7th Place)
The Adirondack Thunder would begin the second half of the season on the right track as they snapped their eight-game losing streak on Saturday Night with a convincing 6-1 win. However, despite erasing a two-goal deficit in the third period, the Thunder would lose 4-2 on Sunday Afternoon. The Thunder have a PP goal in their last three games after going 0-22 in their previous six games. Tyler Brennan picked up his first win since December 28th. Adirondack will host the Norfolk Admirals to wrap up the season series on Wednesday before beginning a seven-game road. They will head to Worcester on Friday before heading to Reading for games on Saturday and Sunday.
Armand Klisivitch’s Saturday Night Recap
Armand Klisivitch’s Sunday Afternoon Recap
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