Glens Falls NY - The Adirondack Thunder fell to the Norfolk Admirals by a 3-2 final in the first of a back-to-back set between the teams this weekend at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
The Thunder opened the scoring just over a minute into the game when Ryan Lomberg found the back of the net on his first shift back in Adirondack after being reassigned from Stockton this morning. Alex Carrier pressured the Norfolk defense on the breakout to steal the puck. The big winger sent a pass to Kirkpatrick, who went across the crease to Lomberg for the goal to give the home team the early advantage. The tally was the seventh goal on the season for Lomberg, while Carrier and Kirkpatrick earned their eighth and eighteenth assists on the season respectively.
Adirondack struck again just 35 seconds later, this time it was Jeff Silengo who lit the lamp for his ninth goal of the season. Silengo took a backhanded pass from Ryan Culkin and fired his shot top shelf for the early two-goal advantage. The power-play goal was the ninth helper on the year for Culkin, while Louick Marcotte, who added the secondary assist on the play, notched his seventh.
The Admirals cut the deficit to one a little under three minutes into the second period. Forward Jonathan Lessard fired a shot on Adirondack netminder Kent Simpson, who made the stop, but the rebound squirted out just enough for Gabriel Verpaelst to swoop in and bury the back door goal. The goal was the sixth on the season for Verpaelst, while Lessard earned his tenth assist. Michael Pelech also added an assist on the play, his 22nd of the season.
Norfolk tied the game midway through the middle stanza on Steven Whitney’s eleventh goal of the season. Scott Allen gained control of his own rebound behind Thunder net and found Whitney cutting down the center lane, who one-timed his shot from the hashmarks over the out stretched glove of Simpson. The goal marked the fourteenth assist for Allen, while Greg Chase added his sixth helper.
The visitors claimed the two points with three minutes remaining in regulation. Scott Allen carried the puck into the offensive end and created a logjam in front of Simpson, where Gabriel Verpaelst’s rebound was able to find its way back onto the stick of Allen, who lifted the puck over the sprawled out Simpson for his twelfth goal of the season. Verpaelst collected his 21st assist of the season, while Steven Whitney added his 22nd.
With the loss, the Thunder fall to 26-12-2-2 on the season and remain in second place in the East Division, trailing the Manchester Monarchs by five points. The Thunder get a chance to avenge the loss tomorrow evening against the Admirals in the second game of the back-to-back meetings between the teams.
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 weekend 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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