THUNDER FIRE 39 SHOTS ON NET BUT FALL TO WHEELING

Glens Falls, NY –The Adirondack Thunder fired 39 shots on the Wheeling net but fell by a 5-2 final on Friday evening at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Wheeling got on the board first as they opened the scoring 11:04 into the game. Despite Adirondack controlling the flow of play, the Nailers got a short spell of offensive zone time and capitalized as Andrew Cerretani fired a wrist shot past a screened Garrett Bartus for his fourth goal of the season. Cerretani’s tally was assisted by forwards Riley Brace and Andrew Ammon, the eighteenth helper of the season for Brace.

The visitors found the back of the net again as the first period neared completion, coming off the stick of Brace. Bartus was able to make the first save with his right pad on Wheeling forward Jordan Kwas, but the rebound caromed to an open Brace at the back post, who buried the puck for 14th goal of the season. The goal was the second point of the night for Brace, giving him his ninth multi-point game of the season, while Kwas picked up his 11th helper with the lone assist.

Adirondack cut the deficit in half just after the second period began as Michael Kirkpatrick banged home a loose puck after a netmouth scramble to make it a 2-1 game. After persistent pressure from the Thunder forward corps, the puck ricocheted around the crease before it fell into the path of Kirkpatrick, who swatted it home on the backhand for his 18th goal of the season.

It took Wheeling just 51 seconds to respond, however, as Adam Krause beat Bartus for his seventh goal of the season. After the Nailers controlled the puck offensively, Brace collected his third point of the evening as he fed Krause for the goal. Brace’s three-point night gives him 33 points on the season, while Krause’s goal was his first since he returned to the Nailers lineup on February 5.

The Nailers got their fourth of the night on a nice individual effort from forward Louis Belisle at the 15:14 mark of the middle stanza. Belisle got his own rebound after Bartus denied his original effort, took the puck around the back of the net and placed it over Bartus’ pad at the back post for this first goal of the season. The Nailers then added a fifth goal 6:49 into the third period as Chris Ciotti scored home his sixth goal of the season, off of an assist from Mathew Maione.

The Thunder got their second goal of the evening with less than five minutes to play in the game as Phil Bronner scored his first career ECHL goal on a superb individual effort. After he took a cross-ice pass from winger Louick Marcotte, Bronner let go a wrist shot from the right-hand circle, which was denied by Wheeling netminder Franky Palazzese, but one-timed his own rebound into the top of the net while falling to the ice. Bronner’s goal is his first in two games in Adirondack, while Marcotte’s assist was his ninth of the season.

The Thunder take to the road for a back-to-back set in Reading tomorrow and Sunday, before the return home to take on these same Nailers on Tuesday evening at the Civic Center. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Adirondack’s last home game until February 27.

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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