THUNDER BLANKED 5-0 IN READING

Reading, PA –The Adirondack Thunder were defeated 5-0 by the Reading Royals on Saturday evening at Santander Arena in Reading, PA.

Reading opened the scoring midway through the second period as a Pavel Padakin shot took an unorthodox deflection and beat Adirondack netminder Ken Appleby to make it 1-0 Royals. Padakin’s shot from the point hit a stick in front and lofted high in the air, over Appleby in traffic for Padakin’s fourth goal of the season. Defenseman Adam Comrie collected the lone assist on the play, his 16th helper of the season.

The Royals wasted no time adding a second goal as just 68 seconds later, Derik Johnson finished off an offensive passing play for his first goal of the season. Forward Mike Pereira carried the puck into the offensive zone down the right wing, cut to the middle of the ice and hit Johnson in the slot, where the Reading blueliner beat Appleby for the goal. The assist for Pereira was his 13th of the season, while Johnson’s goal was the first of his ECHL career.

A netmouth scramble put Reading ahead 3-0 with just 29 seconds remaining in the second period. After the Royals worked the puck deep in the offensive zone, the puck was thrust into Appleby’s crease, where it sat for nearly three full seconds, before Cam Reid finally poked it home for the goal. Reid, the former Adirondack Flame, collected his eighth goal of the season on the play, while Pereira collected his second point of the evening with the lone assist.

An energetic start to the third period proved to be fruitless for Adirondack as Reid netted his second of the evening to extend the Royals’ advantage to 4-0. After Pereira collected the puck around the center ice line, he carried it into the neutral zone and dropped it to Reid, who fired a wrist shot past Appleby from the right circle. The goal for Reid marked the third time this season he has scored twice in a game, while Pereira amassed the first three assist game of his professional career.

The home side increased its total to five midway through the third, as Yannick Tifu got on the scoresheet with a sharp angle goal. After he collected the puck from forward Andrew Ammon, Tifu controlled the puck below the goal line, skated out towards the front untouched and squeezed the puck past Appleby for the goal. The tally was Tifu’s sixth of the season, while Ammon collected his first point of 2015-16 with the assist.

The Thunder and Royals will square off again tomorrow in a 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon contest at Santander Arena. Adirondack then returns home to the Glens Falls Civic Center, where they will take on the Manchester Monarchs on Wednesday evening, before a pair of games with the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday and Saturday.

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 have several mini-packs on sale now, consisting of two or four tickets, combined with a taste of downtown gift card. 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.

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