A pair of red-hot Newfoundland Growlers who hail from the U.S. Sun Belt carried the first-year ECHL squad to its fourth straight win Wednesday night, a 5-2 decision over the Worcester Railers.
At Mile One Centre in downtown St. John’s, the Growlers improved to 9-5 on the year with a sweep of the Railers. Newfoundland won 3-1 Tuesday night.
Brady Ferguson of Lewisville, Texas scored once and assisted on two others for the Growlers, while Josh Kestner of Huntsville, Alabama had a goal and a helper.
Ferguson, who played NCAA hockey with Robert Morris University outside Pittsburgh, now has five goals and seven assists in the past six games, while Kestner, who played in the NCAA for his hometown University of Alabama-Huntsville squad, has seven goals and three helpers in his past seven starts.
J.J. Piccinich, recently reassigned to St. John’s from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, potted his first goal of the year, and Marcus Power scored his third. Giorgio Estephan scored his ninth goal into an empty net.
Nick Bligh and Woody Hudson replied for the Railers, who enjoyed a 2-1 lead near the mid-way point of the second period.
Mario Culina had little trouble recording his second win on the year, stopping 15 shots before an announced attendance of 2,709.
The Railers series also marked the return of coach Ryane Clowe behind the Growlers’ bench. Clowe had missed the final three games of the most recent road trip dealing with a, “medical issue.”
The Growlers are back in action Friday and Saturday when the Manchester Monarchs drop by Mile One for a two-game series.
Start times for both games is 7 p.m.
