Joe DiPenta scored a shorthanded goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to lift the Portland Pirates to a 3-2 win over the Albany River Rats in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 3,495 at the Times Union Center.

The victory marked the Pirates 10th consecutive win, equaling the franchise record established in 1996-97.

Mike Weber and Brad Larsen also scored for the Pirates, now 31-16-5-2 on the season.

Nicolas Blanchard and Jerome Samson replied for Albany, who dropped their second straight and are 29-22-3-3 on the year.

Blanchard netted the only goal of the opening period to give the River Rats a 1 -0 lead after one. Gogulla tied it eight minutes into the second period only to see Samson strike 91 seconds later to restore Albany’s one-goal advantage through two. Larsen tied the game at two in the opening three minutes of the third before DiPenta took advantage of an bad clear by Albany goalie Justin Peters and found an empty from his own blue line for the winner.

The River Rats out shot the Pirates 30-28 in the game as Jhonas Enroth posted the victory.

(Courtesy of Portland Pirates)