WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) – Joe Motzko scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, as the Portland Pirates beat the Worcester Sharks 5-3 in an American Hockey League action Friday.

Kent Huskins, Geoff Peters and Simon Ferguson had the other goals for Pirates. Mike Iggulden, Graham Mink and Riley Armstrong scored for the Sharks.

Huskins gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead at 7:27 of the first period, firing a 35-foot wrist shot past Dimitri Patzold after taking a pass from Mark Hartigan.

Iggulden tied it at 11:30 with a power play goal, converting from in close. He was fed by Graham Mink from behind the net.

Motzko got the lead back for Portland at 9:30 of the second period, also scoring on a 35-foot wrist shot, then Mink made it 2-2 at 15:52.

Peters scored at 1:59 of the third period, one second before a Portland power play was due to end. He took a pass from Aaron Rome and slid a 20-foot backhander into a mostly open net.

Armstrong’s goal at 10:51 tied it one more time, but when Motzko scored at 12:34, Portland finally had a lead it could hold onto for good. Ferguson hit an empty net with 13 seconds to go.

AP-ES-02-23-07 2309EST