THUNDER NET FOUR BUT FALL TO ELMIRA, 6-4.

Glens Falls, NY - The Adirondack Thunder found the back of the net four times but were downed 6-4 by the Elmira Jackals on Wednesday evening at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The Thunder got the scoring started not even two minutes into the game when Luke Curardi received a pass in the high slot and fired a wrist shot off of Elmira netminder C.J. Motte’s leg pads into the net. The play was set up by Mitchell Heard, who forced a turnover behind the net, getting the puck to Gunnar Hughes who found Curardi in front. Curadi’s goal was the first of his professional career, while Heard and Hughes pushed their assist total’s to ten and two respectively.

Elmira answered quickly, just over a minute later, when Mike Seidel knotted the score at one with a breakaway goal. Seidel took a saucer pass from Allan McPherson, leading to a breakaway, where Seidel went to his backhand and shot the puck just over Ken Appleby’s glove to tie the game at one. Seidel’s goal was his tenth on the season while McPherson picked up his eighth assist, extending his point streak to four games.

Elmira gained the lead 30 seconds later when McPherson tapped in a backdoor pass from Chris Langkow after the Thunder turned the puck over in the defensive end. McPherson’s goal gave him seven on the year, and his tenth career multipoint game. Meanwhile, Langkow increased his team lead in assists to thirteen with the primary helper.

Adirondack continued the scoring parade with a power play goal by Michael Kirkpatrick at the 6:02 mark of the first. The Thunder showed smart passing with Patch Alber taking a pass from fellow defenseman Ryan Constant along the blue line, who found Kirkpatrick all alone at the face off dot, who sniped it over Motte’s right shoulder. Kirkpatrick’s goal was his team leading tenth on the season, and third on the man advantage. Patch Alber picked up his third assist on the season and Ryan Constant increased his team leading helper total to fourteen.

The players settled in after that goal, going up and down the ice until around six minutes to play in the period, before Elmira took back the lead with Justin Kea’s redirection of Kevin Claire’s shot from the point past Appleby for his second goal of the season. Claire improved his assist total to four, and Nick Petrecki also tallied an assist, giving him six on the year.

Once again the Thunder answered, this time it was Joe Faust, who skated down the right side after he took a pass from Kirkpatrick and fired the puck just before the faceoff circle through the five hole for his first goal of the season. The assist gave Kirkpatrick his fifth multi-point game this season, all of which have come in the last eleven games.

Elmira regained the lead just over four minutes into the second period, once again on a redirection, this time off the stick of Colin Jacobs, who redirected Jacob MacDonald’s blast through Appleby’s five hole. Jacobs’ goal gave him six on the season, and Macdonald’s assist increased his total also to six. Mark Bennett also gained an assist on the play, his fifth on the year.

Adirondack tied the game six minutes into the final period when Gunnar Hughes took a back door pass from Alex Carrier and saw nothing but nylon as he buried it home to even the score. Hughes’ goal was his fourth tally of the year and gave him the first multipoint game of his professional career.

Midway through the final period, the Jackals scored what would prove to be the game winner when Justin Kea took a lead pass from Justin MacDonald skated up the left side and snuck his shot through Appleby’s six hole to take the lead. Kea’s second goal of the game gave him his first professional two-goal game while MacDonald gained his third mult-point game on the year. The Jackals iced the game with an empty net goal with 1:28 to play.

The loss drops the Thunder to third place in the division with a 15-4-1-1 record, the team heads to Norfolk, VA next to take on the Admirals on back-to-back nights starting Friday at 7:30, looking to avenge the 6-1 loss from last week at the Civic Center. After Saturday, the team gets a week off for the holidays before returning to action on Saturday, December 26th at home where they will face the Manchester Monarchs.

Don’t miss out on the speed, skill, strength and sounds of Thunder hockey with a partial season flex or mini ticket plan today. The Adirondack Thunder and O’Toole’s Restaurant Pub Holiday Pack is on sale now, consisting of four tickets, an inaugural season Thunder hat and a $10 gift card to O’Toole’s, an $80 value for just $60. Send a jolt into your holidays with the gift of Adirondack Thunder hockey. For more information on all Thunder ticket plans, call 518-480-3355 x1 or visit echlthunder.com

###

The Days Of Thunder Are Coming To Glens Falls