Adirondack Sweeps Reading In Preseason Series

Sierra Rumpf/Adirondack Thunder

The Adirondack Thunder swept their preseason series vs. the Reading Royals as they won by a score of 4-1 on Friday Night and 3-1 on Saturday Night. This is huge for the Thunder as they officially begin the Pete MacArthur on Saturday Night on the road vs. the Worcester Railers. There are a few takeaways from the two preseason games, so let’s recap and look at what we found out about the Adirondack Thunder this past weekend.

Friday Night

One of the biggest things mentioned throughout training camp was the defense, which was on display early as the Royals didn’t get their first shot in until halfway through the first period. The Thunder would open up the scoring late in the first period as Shane Harper won a faceoff and made a soft pass to Noah Corson, who would open up the scoring for the Thunder. Corson, in his first game with the Thunder, played a very physical game, and it’s easy to see why he was second in goals and first in PIMS with the Norfolk Admirals last season, “I think I started well in the first period with a goal” said Corson. The special teams weren’t exactly hitting the mark tonight as the Royals took advantage of their third PP chance of the night, the Royals would take advantage to tie up the game at one as Shane Sellar would put home his own rebound at the 5:38 mark of the first period, but it would end up being the only goal of the night for Reading. Adirondack would respond with an almost identical goal as their first one, as Garrett Van Whye would feed Vladislav Mikhalchuk, who would put one past Justin Kapelmaster for what would end up being the game-winning goal. Sebastian Vidmar and Ryan Smith would add empty net goals for the Thunder.

Adirondack would end up giving the Royals seven chances on the PP, allowing them to score on only one of them. The Thunder would get four chances with the man advantage. Only one of those chances looked promising, “I mean, it happens, it’s a preseason game the guys are excited, I think we did a good job on the penalty kill, for the most part, we have to learn to use our skills so we can use those skills more on the ice than in the box as often, we’ll touch on it tomorrow, but I’m happy with their effort.”

Mareks Mitens and Isaac Polter split time in goal for the Thunder tonight as Mitens would start the game, stopping 12 out of the 13 shots he faced. Still, it would be Isaac Polter who would be on display tonight as he stopped all 16 shots he faced tonight, “It feels really nice to get a couple of games under my belt, one in Utica and now one, it feels nice getting my feet wet into professional hockey a little bit” said Polter.

Saturday Night

Once again, the goaltending would be displayed as Jake Theut and Isaac Polter would handle the goaltending for Adirondack. The Thunder would get off to a slow start allowing the first seven shots to the Royals, and would also have to kill off 11 seconds of 5 on 3 in the opening frame, but despite being outshot 12-5, it would be scoreless after the opening 20. Adirondack would get on the board early in the second as Billy Jerry would feed Ryan DaSilva, who found the back of the net on the powerplay for the Thunder. Ivan Chukarov would end up doubling the lead for the Thunder with a bomb from the point on the powerplay. However, the Royals wouldn’t go away easy as Kamerin Nault would score on the PP to make it a one-goal game. Adirondack would give the Royals a golden chance as they would take a penalty with 3:12 left in the third, and Reading would pull Nolan Maier with 2:18 left for the extra attacker. During the PP, the Royals would hit both posts before Billy Jerry would fire one down the ice that would find the back of the net to solidify Adirondack’s 3-1 victory.

What We Learned

  • The goaltending is very solid, as all three goaltenders played during the three-game stretch. Mareks Mitens stopped 12 out of the 13 shots he faced on Friday Night, and Isaac Poulter stopped 16 shots in relief of Mitens.
  • Penalty Kill looks solid as the Thunder killed 11 of the 12 penalties they committed. However, the PP was pretty decent, especially on Saturday Night, as they went 2/5 with the man advantage.
  • Rex Moe was the most impressive of the PTOs throughout the two games and will give Pete MacArthur some tough decisions.
  • Jeff Taylor had an “A” on his chest during Saturday’s game, and though the team hasn’t announced it, he will likely be one of the assistants for the Thunder this season.

Stanley Cup Aspirations Cue’ the Duck Boats Pod

The boys are back after a long break but have plenty to talk about as the playoffs are in full swing. We go series by series, looking at how teams have fared so far and who will come out on top. Thanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.
  1. Stanley Cup Aspirations
  2. The Final Countdown
  3. Here Come the Playoffs
  4. Home Stretch
  5. Kevy Cooks

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Armand Klisivitch

Inside The Rink ECHL Manager | Senior Editor Credentialed Reporter for the Adirondack Thunder & Worcester Railers.

Leave a Reply

Anthony Beauregard attempts a pass vs Reading Royals

ECHL: Anthony Beauregard Named Player of the Month | March 2025

The ECHL has named Trois-Rivieres Lions forward Anthony Beauregard the ECHL Player of the Month for March. In 14 games in March, the native of St-Damase, Quebec, had seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points. He also has points in 12 of his last 14 games, helping the Lions clinch their spot in the […]

Read More
Adirondack Thunder Transactions Graphic

ECHL: Adirondack Thunder Transactions | 04/01/2025

For the second straight day, the Adirondack Thunder would go out and make another college signing. Adirondack would also get some bad news on the injury front. The Thunder will begin a three-in-three with the Worcester Railers on Friday Night in Glens Falls. Adirondack Signs Brian Carrabes Carrabes, 23, spent the last four years in […]

Read More

ECHL South Division Recap | Week 24

The South Division standings are taking shape as the regular season winds down. Four teams — South Carolina, Florida, Jacksonville, and Orlando — have clinched playoff spots, while Savannah, Atlanta, and Greenville look to finish the season strong. With notable individual performances and key games ahead, here’s a breakdown of where each team stands and […]

Read More