The Maine Mariners dramatically earned an ECHL playoff berth Sunday on the final day of the regular season, rallying for a 4-3 win over the Adirondack Thunder on Alex Kile’s power-play goal with 1:29 remaining in overtime in Glens Falls, New York.
The Mariners, pushed to the brink of elimination because of a five-game losing streak, fell behind 3-1 in a must-win game. Kile started the comeback with a power-play goal 5:10 into the third period, and Ty Cheveldayoff, in only his second professional game, tied it with 4:52 remaining in regulation.
Cheveldayoff then drew a tripping penalty in overtime, and Kile sent a one-timer past former Mariners goalie Jeremy Brodeur for his team-record 37th goal of the season. The goal was set up by Brooklyn Kalmikov, who scored the Mariners’ first goal.
The result left Maine with a .500 record – 32-32-8. Trois-Rivières jumped up to third place in the North Division with a 4-0 win over Worcester that left Worcester with the same record as the Mariners, but Maine gets the fourth and final playoff berth by virtue of the first tiebreaker – regulation win percentage.
It’s the third year in a row that Worcester has missed out on a playoff berth on the final day of the regular season.
Maine will return to Glens Falls on Friday for the opener of a best-of-seven first-round series against Adirondack.
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