WORCESTER, Mass. -- For the second time in less than a week, the Bandits got third-period heroics and stunned the Worcester IceCats in their own building. Last night, they did it by winning 4-3.
They trailed by a goal heading into the final frame, but newcomer Eric Manlow tied the game at 25 seconds, followed 1: 26 later by Jamie Spencer's go-ahead score.
Manlow, playing in just his third game with the Bandits, netted his third of the year after picking up a stray puck, then darting down the right wing. He used Worcester defenseman David Williams as a screen, then snapped a quick wrister through the pads of goalie Jamie McLennan.
"It was just a basic one-on-one," Manlow said. "He [Williams] played me tight but the gap was pretty wide. I was just trying to get it on net. I didn't see how it went in."
Spencer then drove the rebound of a Trevor Senn drive over McLennan's right shoulder, quieting the Centrum crowd of 6,692.
The Bandits, who have suffered through a number of losing streaks, are now in the midst of a more positive run. They have strung together three straight road wins -- currently the longest streak in the AHL -- beginning with a 3-2 win here Jan. 18. They are unbeaten in their last four away from the Arena.
Worcester's Chris Kenady opened the scoring with 30 seconds left in the first period.
The Bandits answered quickly, tying the game at : 48 of the second on Bob Wren's 10th goal of the year.
But the 'Cats stepped up the pressure and regained the lead at 5: 50 after peppering Bandits goalie Tom Askey with a three-shot flurry.
After the Bandits took the lead in the third period, David Sacco added to it with his fifth of the year at 8: 59. Ex-Bandit Mike Maneluk brought Worcester back to within a goal with less than three minutes to play.
McLennan was pulled for an extra attacker with just over a minute to play, but the Bandits survived the pressure to hang on for the win.
Bandits 0 1 3 -- 4
$ Worcester 1 1 1 -- 3
Bandits tonight
Opponent: Portland Pirates
Site: Cumberland County (Maine) Civic Center
Time: 7: 30
Radio: Updates after each period on WWLG (1360 AM), WASA (1330 AM)
Outlook: Pirates return home, where they are 12-7-2, after a 2-2-1 road trip that included an overtime victory in Baltimore on Thursday night. Top offensive threats Andy Brunette, Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Anson Carter, and defenseman Eric Charron, are back with Portland after stints with the parent Washington Capitals.
Pub Date: 1/25/97
