PORTLAND, ME – December 1, 2023 – The Maine Mariners netted a season-high five goals against one of the league’s stingiest defenses, and skated away with a 5-2 victory against the Kansas City Mavericks on Friday night at the Cross Insurance Arena. It was the first ever meeting between the two teams, as the Mariners faced off with their first non-divisional opponent of 2023-24.
It took nearly six minutes for the Mariners to register their first shot of the game, but they made it count, when Adam Mechura ripped a shot off the post and into the net at 5:51, giving Maine the early lead. They would double their advantage with a power play goal at 10:57. Reid Stefanson, returning from a five game injury absence, deflected an Alex Kile feed to scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season and give the Mariners a 2-0 lead, which they held after 20 minutes.
Exactly seven minutes into the 2nd period, a hard working shift from Mechura, Ethan Keppen, and Alex Kile resulted in a goal for Kile when he hammered a one-timer home from between the circles. Kansas City cut into the Maine lead with a power play goal at 11:14 of the middle frame, as Cade Borchardt slipped one inside the far post after a double-minor penalty to Tyler Drevitch. The Mariners maintained their two-goal lead after two periods.
Kansas City scored early in the third to turn up the pressure, Cole Coskey finishing an impressive passing play with a tap-in behind Arvanitis just 3:54 into the final frame. An insurance tally by Billy Constantinou would put Maine back up two at 12:06, as he wristed home his first goal as a Mariner off the cross bar and in behind Cale Morris from the right circle. Stefanson’s bid for his second of the game was overruled for goaltender interference with just over three minutes left, but Gabriel Chicoine scored an empty netter for the second game in a row to bring it to a 5-2 final.
The Mariners nearly doubled up Kansas City in shots, winning the battle 42-22. Arvanitis collected his third consecutive victory with 20 stops. Morris made 37 saves in defeat. It was just the second time in 12 road games that the Mavericks suffered a loss. The Mariners have their first back-to-back wins of the season.
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