THUNDER ROLL TO 5-4 OVERTIME WIN IN BRAMPTON

Brampton, ONT – The Adirondack Thunder moved to 2-0 on the season with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Brampton Beast on Friday evening at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, ONT. Rob Bordson’s game winning goal 58 seconds into the extra session gave Adirondack its second win in as many games.

The Thunder opened the scoring this evening as forward Michael Kirkpatrick beat Brampton netminder Eddie Pasquale for his first career professional goal. Kirkpatrick collected the puck from teammate Greg Wolfe on the side boards, cut into the slot and put his shot between Pasquale’s five-hole for the goal.

The Beast would knot the score at one at the 11:34 mark of the opening period as Bryan McGregor came in on Ken Appleby on a partial breakaway and put his shot past the Thunder netminder’s glove hand. McGregor, who collected a pinpoint in-direct pass from Josiah Didier, scored his first goal in the ECHL since 2009 to level the Beast midway into the opening 20 minutes.

Adirondack would retake their lead just over three minutes later as David Shields unleashed a slap shot from the point that beat a screened Pasquale. The Thunder’s veteran blueliner collected the puck at the right point, dragged it into the middle of the ice and unloaded his shot to give Adirondack its second lead of the evening. Shields’ tally was his first of the young season and his second point in as many games.

Brampton once again struck right back, however, as Didier got his second point of the night on a nice breakaway goal. After he collected a pass from winger Scott Howes, the blueliner protected the puck down the left flank and went backhand to forehand for the goal. The goal, the first of Didier’s ECHL career, came at the 16:48 mark of the first period and was the final tally in a run of three goals in a 5:04 span.

The Thunder came out flying in the second period and were rewarded, as they buried a power-play goal just 1:39 into the game as Rob Bordson redirected a Ryan Constant shot past Pasquale to make it 3-2. With Brampton down a man, the Thunder diligently moved the puck in the offensive zone, ending with a nifty saucer pass from Kyle Flanagan to Constant at the point, where the veteran defenseman rifled a shot that hit Bordson and deflected home for Bordson’s first goal of the season.

The visitors doubled their advantage less than four minutes later with Bordson this time the facilitator. The Thunder forward took a pass on the left flank and fired a slapshot that was kicked aside by Pasquale, directly onto the stick of Mitchell Heard who buried it for his first of the year. Heard, who joined the Thunder from the Stockton Heat just this week, now has goals in each of his past three ECHL games dating back to last season, as well as 11 goals in just 13 career ECHL games.

Brampton sent the game into the second intermission with a 4-3 score as defenseman Travis Brown put a slapshot from the point into the back of the net to cut the Beast’s deficit to one. The Winnipeg, MAN native scaled the blueline and let his shot go for his second goal, unassisted, in three games this season.

The home side played quickly throughout the third period and were rewarded with the game tying goal with 9:47 left in the final stanza. Defenseman Jeremie Blain faked twice from the point before he fired a low slap shot on net, which was denied by Appleby, but Angelo Miceli was on the spot in front to put the rebound over Appleby’s blocker for the goal, the first of his ECHL career.

After the Beast took a penalty with just 0.5 seconds left in regulation, the Thunder capitalized on the 4-on-3 man advantage as Rob Bordson put home a Flanagan rebound for the game winner. The combination of Flanagan, Bordson and Constant connected again on the power-play, as the trio moved the puck into open space, which led to the goal, Bordson’s second of the evening.

The party kicks off the Thunder franchise at home tomorrow, as the team plays its home opener at 7:00 p.m. against the Manchester Monarchs. Opening Night Packs, which consist of four tickets and a pair of Thunder sticks for $56, are still available by calling the Thunder offices at 518-480-3355 x1. Single game tickets for Opening Night can be purchased at the Civic Center Box Office, online at http://bit.ly/Opening_Night_Tickets or by calling 1-855-432-2849.

Full season, partial season, flex and group ticket plans are now available to renew or purchase for the Adirondack Thunder’s inaugural 2015-16 season, presented by Bud Light, along with an Opening Night pack. To purchase tickets, contact the Adirondack Thunder front office at 518-480-3355 x1, visit echlthunder.com/season tickets or stop by the Adirondack Thunder front offices, located at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

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The Days Of Thunder Are Coming To Glens Falls