The city of Portland hosted a professional playoff hockey game for the first time in six years on Thursday night. The Maine Mariners sent the home fans home happy, beating the Reading Royals 5-4 in game three of a ECHL Northern Division playoff series at the Cross Insurance Arena. Reading still leads the best of seven 2-1. The Royals had taken the first two games in Pennsylvania.
Connor Bleackley staked Maine to a 1-0 lead with a powerplay goal at 9:29 of the first period. The second period was full of action and scoring. Kenny Hausinger tied it for Reading at 3:14, before the Mariners took the lead back on the first goal of the playoffs from Mathew Santos just 1:18 later. The Royals scored the next two on markers from Jacob Pritchard and Brad Morrison at 6:54 and 8:54 for a 3-2 lead. Cam Askew evened it for the hosts at 11:51, before a late goal from Garrett McFadden at 18:19 had Reading just 20 minutes away from a 3-0 series lead. The Mariners weren’t about to have that happen. Reid Stefanson tied it at 1:14 of the third, and Santos played the hero with the game winner at 17:34 to give Maine their first ever ECHL playoff win.
Connor Doherty had three assists for Maine in the win. Santos had the two goals, including the game winner. Stefanson had the one goal and also added an assist. Stefanos Lekkas stopped 15 of 19 shots in net over 40 minutes, but didn’t return for the third period. Jeremy Brodeur stopped all six shots he faced to earn the victory in between the pipes. Games four and five are also in Portland on Friday and Saturday night, with Chris Lessner on hand to provide full recaps, photos, and videos of the action. The last time Portland hosted a professional playoff hockey game was in the 2015-16 season with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.
