The Portland Pirates spent most of their time Saturday night chasing the Utica Comets.

After the first 11 minutes, they never caught up. The Comets skated to a 6-3 victory to complete a two-game sweep before a crowd of 3,645 at the Cross Insurance Arena.

“We sat back a little too much,” Portland Coach Tom Rowe said. “You’ve got to be more desperate. We were too afraid of making mistakes.”

Except for a total of five minutes in the first period, the Pirates were on the wrong side of the score.

“When you chase and don’t have the puck you get tired, so you can’t do that all night,” Rowe said.

The Pirates (7-10) have lost four straight. The Comets (9-8-1-1) have won four straight.

“We’ve got to start playing with a little more confidence, a little more swagger,” Rowe said.

The Comets led 3-1 after the first period.

Utica defenseman Ashton Sautner opened the scoring after less than three minutes by jamming a rebound inside the left post.

Garrett Wilson scored a short-handed goal after 11 minutes to tie it. It was the first goal of the season for Wilson, who stole the puck at his blue line and whistled in a shot from the top of the slot after moving between three defenders.

Less than two minutes later, Utica regained the lead when defenseman Travis Ehrhart put in a shot from the top of the left slot while using Wilson as a screen. Former Bowdoin College defenseman Jon Landry drew an assist.

With less than six minutes left in the period, Nikles Jensen turned Linden Vey’s centering pass from the right side of the goal into his third goal of the season during the Comets’ second power play.

The Comets led 4-3 after the second period.

Left wing John McFarland brought the Pirates to within a goal when he swept a rebound inside the left side of the goal after goalie Joe Cannata stopped Rob Flick’s shot from the right circle less than two minutes into the period.

Four minutes later, Ehrhart scored on a shot from the left point after Carter Bancks won a faceoff in the left circle while Utica was short-handed.

With less than eight minutes left in the period, defenseman Sena Acolatse got his stick on a long rebound and scored on a shot from the right circle after Cannata blocked Shane Harper from tucking the puck inside the post.

Center Mike Zalewski made it 5-3 when he put in a shot from inside the circle.

With less than two minutes left, center Alex Friesen put his third goal into an empty net.

NOTES: Right wing Derek Army, son of the former Portland Pirates coach Tim Army, was released from his professional tryout contract after playing four games for the Pirates. … Utica left wing Brendan Gaunce, brother of Portland defenseman Cameron Gaunce, was scratched for the fourth consecutive game.

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