Falcons fall short in final game of busy schedule |
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By Andrew Tressler, Special to Reminder Publications
SPRINGFIELD The Springfield Falcons ended a busy stretch of four games in five days with a 3-2 loss to the Portland Pirates on Sunday afternoon at the MassMutual Center. The Falcons will be off from game action until Dec. 4 when they take on the Worcester Sharks at The Nest.
"It's disappointing," Liam Reddox, left wing, said of the team's last stretch of games. "I don't think we were ready off the start of any game we played. We've got to improve our starts. We definitely can't be satisfied for battling for only 40 minutes a game."
The Falcons were trailing very early in the game, only 38 seconds into the contest to be exact, when Portland's Felix Schutz scored his third goal of the season to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. Portland struck again at the 15:42 mark in the first period when Paul Byron converted on a Pirates power play.
"We gave the puck away way too much in the first period," Falcons Head Coach Rob Daum, said. "The first goal we just gave it to them. We settled down in the second and third and that gave us a chance to generate some things, but in the first period we gave the puck away too many times and they took advantage."
It looked like the Falcons were falling out of the game once Byron's shot found the back of the net, but Colton Fretter, right wing, responded. Fretter scored the Falcons first goal of the game only 15 seconds after Byron's goal. The goal extended Fretter's home scoring streak to 11 consecutive games. Defenseman Cody Wild earned his eighth assist of the season on the goal.
Springfield had their chances to score with two power plays, including a five on three, but the Falcons never seemed to get into any rhythm on either man advantage. The Falcons struggled in the first period, being outshot 12 to five.
"That was painful," Daum said of only getting one shot on goal during the five on three, "because when you get that chance you have to take advantage of it and our power play has been really key for us. And to squander that, no question that hurt."
The Falcons tied the game up during the second period on Reddox's fourth goal of the season. Reddox maneuvered the puck through multiple Portland defenders as he beat Pirates goaltender Jhonas Enroth on the play. Theo Peckham and Ryan MacMurchy earned an assist on the score.
"I took it wide," Reddox said of his goal. "I think the 'D' man thought I was going to drop it so I saw a lane and just took it to the net hard."
The tie game did not last for long as Schutz scored his second goal of the game for the Pirates, making it 3-2 in favor of the visitors. The Pirates took the 3-2 lead heading into the final period.
In the final period, the Falcons sent 17 shots at Portland's Enroth, but he was there to make every stop.
"A lot of times when you play three [games] in three [days] and four [games] in five [days] it's tough to come back in the third," Daum said of the Falcons' 17 shots on goal in the third period. "But we did, but we just didn't find a way to put it in the net."
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