The Adirondack Thunder picked up four possible six points during their three-in-three weekend and sit where they were at the beginning of the weekend as they sit 9 points back of the Worcester Railers with two games in two games in hand and eight head-to-head match-ups. For Adirondack, it was the new kids on the block that would lead the team as Mike Robinson picked up his first two wins of his career in the two starts he made at home, stopping 58 of the 63 shots he saw over the two-game span, “He came in and took advantage of his opportunities, we use that word a lot around here” said Head Coach Pete MacArthur. Matt Jennings had two goals in the two games at home for the Thunder and picked up his first career fight for the Thunder. In the last two games for the Thunder, this team has come out and played like a team who wants to make the playoffs, and it has paid off for them.
Adirondack 1500th Goal Spoiled By Railers
The Adirondack Thunder had their first of 9 remaining match-ups vs the Worcester Railers, who they trailed by only 9 points for the final playoff spot in the North Divison. One thing that has hurt the Thunder is that they have been known for a slow start, which would cost them on Friday Night. Anthony Rapaci would get the Railers on the board just 56 seconds after the opening faceoff to put the Railers up one. Adirondack would take a too many men penalty just 46 seconds after the Rapaci goal, and the night seemed to be quickly heading in the wrong direction for the Thunder. Luckily, they were able to kill off the penalty. The Railers would double their lead as they got a three-on-two and capitalized on it as it would be Railer’s captain Bobby Butwouldho’d beat Brody Claeys. Adirondack came into the night with 1499 goals as a franchise, and they would hit 1500 on a shot from the point from the RPI Graduate Kyle Hallbauer in his second career ECHL game, “Ya, I didn’t even know it was the 1500th goal, that’s pretty interesting” said Hallbauer. The Thunder would put the pressure on the Railers in the third. However, it would be a weird bounce off the boards that would lead to Max Johnson’s third of the season as the Railers seemed to have put the game out of reach. Shawn Weller seemed to have put the Thunder within one but was waived off due to a high stick. Adirondack would pull Claeys with a little over three minutes to go, and it would be Xavier Parent who’d find his own rebound to put the Thunder within one; Parent also led the Thunder with a season-high 11 shots on goal. The Thunder couldn’t find the equalizer as Anthony Repaci would hit the empty net for his second of the night. Brody Claeys had a solid night in net for his Thunder debut, stopping 31 shots despite taking the loss.
Thunder Lay Down The Law On Lions
GLENS FALLS, NY- The Adirondack Thunder needed a bounce-back win after a tough 4-2 loss to the fourth-place Worcester Railers who the Thunder are attempting to chase down in the standings. Adirondack would waste no time getting on the board early as Ryan Smith opened up the scoring for the Thunder as he came down the wing and beat Joe Vrbetic over the shoulder, which they have only done 23 times coming into tonight, “Ya, it’s huge, we’ve been doing a better job of that lately, I know at the beginning of the year it felt like we were going down 1-0 early and it’s definitely another improvement we’ve seen through the year and we’re starting off games more competitive” said Grant Jozefek. Matt Steif would feed Patrick Grasso, who’d pick up his team-leading 26th goal of the season, and six minutes in, Adirondack was up 2-0 in front of a packed house. It would be a Brady Fluerent goal off an excellent feed from Grant Jozefek that would chase Vrbetic, who’d give up three goals on six shots. The Thunder weren’t entirely done yet, as Matt Jennings would get his first professional goal in his second game to make it 4-0 Adirondack. Jennings decided to make the night a memorable one as he picked up his first career fight and came to an assist short of a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick, “Ya, it’s just been a whirlwind, been very busy, and it’s happened so fast it’s nice to get into a routine and get in with a great group of guys, so it’s been awesome” said Jennings. Adirondack would outshoot Trois-Rivieres 11-1 in the opening frame.
In the second, the ice wasn’t as tilted as it was in the first, and the physicality would hit a boiling point as Jennings, and Cam Cook would drop the gloves. Grant Jozefek would feed Travis Broughman in front to make it 5-0. Trois-Rivieres would respond less than two minutes after the Broughman goal as Cedric Lacroix would take a shot that would barely beat Mike Robinson. The Lions would have some golden opportunities in the 3rd, including a full two-minute five on three that they’d take advantage of as Anthony Beauregard would score from the slot, and five and a half minutes later, Santino Centorame would pick up his own rebound and just like that the Lions found themselves within two. Shawn Weller seemed to have scored to put the Thunder up three, but it would be called off due to goaltender interference. However, Weller would get another chance and put it home for his 10th of the season. Mike Robinson would pick up his first win in a Thunder sweater as he made 23 saves as the Thunder snapped their three-game skid, “It was an exciting win, I only got the call yesterday, and I made my way up here from Alabama, and it was crazy travel with the snow and the weather, but I made it here, and it was a great first win” said Robinson.
Parent’s Two Goals Propel Thunder Pick Up Rare Sunday Win
Adirondack had not favored well on Sundays as they were 1-8-1 when they played on Sundays; Matthew Barron would get the Lions on the board as he finished off a two-on-two rush with a shot that would beat Robinson at the 4:53 mark of the opening frame. The Thunder wasted no time responding as Nick Rivera fed Matt Jennings at the side of the net, as he put it home for his second goal in two games. The excitement in the first period wouldn’t end there as Cedric Montminy, and Bryce Martin dropped the gloves; Martin would get the worst of it as he wouldn’t return after the fight, and Head Coach Pete MacArthur said he’d be out for at least the next seven days. Adirondack would have a flurry of chances in the opening frame but couldn’t seem to finish them as the score would be knotted up at one after one.
Shane Harper would find a wide-open Xavier Parent in the slot, and Parent would make no mistake as he’d find the back of the net to give Adirondack a 2-1 lead. Adirondack would double their lead a little over five minutes later; a puck would hit the boards and land right on Parent’s stick, who fired it home for his second goal. Trois-Rivieres still had some fight in them as Ryan Francis found Anthony Beauregard in the slot, and he put it past Robinson.to make it a one-goal game. Shane Harper, who had a three-point night, would take a shot that would trickle past Marotte and give the Thunder back their two-goal lead. Adirondack has had issues finding the net on the PP lately, as they went 0/9 with the man advantage over the weekend. Still, it would be Ryan Orgel who’d find Nick Rivera wide open down ice on a PK, and Rivera would put it home for the Thunder’s seventh shorty of the season as the Thunder would win this one by a score of 5-2. Mike Robinson made 30 saves for his second straight win, “It was good, the first couple days here went pretty well, and I’m happy to get four points for the team, and hopefully we can build off of it,” said Robinson.
