ST. JOHN’S, NL – November 19, 2022 – It was a night that Josh Boyko will never forget. Maine’s rookie goaltender stopped all 33 shots that came his way on Saturday night at Mary Brown’s Centre, handing the Newfoundland Growlers their first regulation loss of the season. It was also Boyko’s first professional win as the Mariners topped the Growlers, 2-0.
The Mariners jumped to the lead early when Tyler Hinam found the net just 1:11 into the game. Tim Doherty won a faceoff in the offensive zone back to Andrew Peski who had his first shot blocked, but as he fell to the ice, Peski found Hinam in the right circle, who slipped one between the pads of Growlers goaltender Dryden McKay for his first goal of the season. Each team totaled 11 shots in the opening period as the Mariners took the 1-0 lead into the locker room.
The one-goal lead held up all the way into the third as the Mariners put together a solid defensive effort behind Boyko and allowed only one Newfoundland power play chance in the game. With 16 seconds remaining, Mathew Santos slid a puck up the right wing to Pat Shea who scored an empty net goal to ice the game.
Fifteen of Boyko’s 33 stops came in the third period. Dryden McKay was also solid for the Growlers, stopping 31 of 32 Mariners shots. Maine’s six-game losing streak came to end, and they now have points in back-to-back games. The Growlers lost for the first time at home in 2022-23 and were shut out at home in a regular season game for the first time in their franchise history.
The Mariners (5-7-1-0) return home for three games next week starting Wednesday, November 23rd against Reading at 7 PM, which features a Thanksgiving Food Drive for South Portland Food Cupboard at the drop box outside the Ware-Butler box office. Reading is in again on Friday night at 7:15 PM for “USA Soccer Night” and a 1-2-3 Friday ($1 candy, $2 popcorn, and $3 Bud Light drafts through the start of the 2nd period), and the weekend concludes with Star Wars Night on Saturday, November 26th against Newfoundland at 6 PM.
Individual game tickets can be purchased online, at the Ware-Butler Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena, or by calling 207-775-3458. Family Four Packs are available for all Saturday and Sunday games and can be purchased here. Season-long ticket plans are also still available. More information on ticketing options is available by calling 833-GO-MAINE, emailing mariners-sales@comcastspectacor.com, or by visiting MarinersOfMaine.com.