The Adirondack Thunder (8-7-0-1) and Worcester Railers (8-10-0-1) will meet on Wednesday Night for the first of eight meetings between the two teams this year. Worcester is coming off some of their best hockey of the season as they split two games out west against the Wichita Thunder, where they would outshoot the Thunder 91-79 over the course of the two games.
Where To Watch
Adirondack Thunder Radio Network
Stats
Adirondack
GAA: 2.94 (13th)
GF: 2.50 (21st)
PP: 12.8% (28th)
PK: 85.4% (8th)
Worcester
GAA: 3.32 (24th)
GF: 2.53 (20th)
PP: 18.1% (15th)
PK: 69.5% (28th)
Players to Watch
Andre Ghantous (Adirondack)
There was a lot to like about Andre Ghantous last season, and after a slow start to begin the year, he’s starting to find his groove offensively as he’s coming off a three-point on Saturday vs Reading Royals. The Glendale, California native will likely see a bigger role moving forward with some of the injuries that the Thunder are dealing with. One part of his game that has caught some eyes this year is that despite being just 5’9, 179lb, he’s not afraid to throw a hit and play a physical game, which is one of the keys to the style of play that Adirondack likes to play.
Brendan Less (Adirondack)
After missing five games with an Illness, Less is coming off a big weekend where he put up his first three points of the season with a goal on Friday Night and two assists on Saturday Night. One of the things that has worked well for the Thunder early on is that they are starting to get a lot more production from their blue line this season, especially after losing two big pieces this off-season in Matt Steif and Colin Felix.
Kevin O’Neil (Adirondack)
The Thunder brought in a couple of new faces this season that were expected to make up for some of the scoring they lost in the off-season, and it looks like Kevin O’Neil has finally found his place with the Thunder as he has four points in his last five games while putting up four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 16 games. He has also been a huge part of the power-play that looks to have finally found some success, as four of his 15 points have come with the man advantage.
Anthony Repaci (Worcester)
Coming into Wednesday Night, Anthony Repaci leads the ECHL in goals (14) as he’s put up 14 goals and seven assists for 21 points in 19 games. The Railers captain will have a chance to make history on Wednesday night as he’s currently tied for first place in franchise goals (79) and has 11 points in his last ten games. This is a huge bounce-back year for the Toronto, Ontario native, who was limited to just 42 games last year, where he had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. Repaci was also named the Player of the Month on Monday.
Connor Welsh (Worcester)-
The Halifax, Nova Scotia native is once again having a strong year on the Railers’ blue line. He’s put up three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 19 games, including 13 points in his first twelve games this season. The Railers have had a rotating blue line this season, with ten different defensemen seeing at least one game for the team. Welsh is one of only two defensemen who have played in all 19 games for the Railers this season. The 26-year-old defenseman had an assist in each of the games vs Wichita after being held off the scoresheet for the previous five games.
Jordan Kaplan (Worcester)-
The former Adirondack Thunder returned to the North Division this off-season after being traded by Savannah to the Worcester Railers. In 19 games this season, he has one goal and 11 assists for 12 points, including four assists in his last five games. Kaplan, who played two games with Worcester during the 2022-23 season, is currently seeing time on the top line for the Railers and had a career-high 14 goals last season with the Ghost Pirates. The Bridgewater, NJ, native has played in two career games against Adirondack and has one assist.
