BRODEURS OVERTIME GAME WINNER GIVES THUNDER THRILLING VICTORY

Norfolk, VA – The Adirondack Thunder got their first overtime win since November as they defeated the Norfolk Admirals in thrilling fashion in a 4-3 victory. Mathieu Brodeur netted the game winner in overtime after Ryan Lomberg’s game tying goal with less than 30 seconds to play in regulation.

The Thunder opened tonight’s scoring as they forced a turnover deep in the Norfolk end and turned it into a goal 5:24 into the game. Nicholas Kuqali fired a shot on net, which was turned aside by Norfolk netminder Ty Rimmer, but the rebound fell to Lomberg. The Thunder winger carried behind the Norfolk net and slid a pass in front to Peter MacArthur, where the veteran forward buried his sixth goal of the season to open up a 1-0 lead. Lomberg’s helper marked his 13th of the season while Kuqali’s assist marked his second in eight games with the Thunder.

The Admirals evened the score at one at the 5:11 mark of the second period as a controversial call gave Norfolk the tying goal. Norfolk defenseman Samuel Noreau fired a shot from the right point that appeared to hit the post and was ruled no-goal on the ice by referee Ben Moser. However, after the goal light and horn went on, play stopped for a conference between the referee and the Norfolk goal judge and the play was changed to a goal. Devin Mantha and Greg Chase collected the assists on Noreau’s fourth goal of the season.

Adirondack converted on the power play to retake a one-goal advantage midway through the third period. With two Norfolk skaters in the box, the Thunder worked the puck offensively and MacArthur hit Lomberg in front where the winger redirected the feed home for the goal, his ninth of the season. The play gave both Lomberg and MacArthur multi-point games while Brodeur picked up the secondary assist on the play.

The home side would tie the game once again just inside the seven-minute mark of the third period as they converted on the man advantage. As the Admirals worked the puck offensively, Nick Pageau had his shot denied by Adirondack netminder Drew Fielding, but Nick MacNeil was on hand in front to bury the rebound for his fourth goal of the season. Pageau and Chase picked up the assists on the play, the second straight multi-assist game for Chase.

Norfolk capitalized once again with less than four minutes to play in the game as Braden Christoffer finished off a 2-on-1 break to give the Admirals their first lead of the game. After the puck bounced out of the Thunder’s attacking zone, Norfolk went down the ice on an odd man rush and Christoffer put home a nice feed from Chase for his second goal in as many nights. With the assist, Chase picked up his third helper of the evening, a career high for the Sherwood Park, AB native.

With Fielding pulled for the extra attacker, Adirondack found an equalizer with less than 30 seconds to play in regulation, once again off the stick of Lomberg. After Rimmer was unable to handle a Gunnar Hughes shot from the left-hand boards, the puck squirted into the slot where Lomberg buried it for his tenth goal of the season and third point of the evening. Hughes collected the lone assist on the play, his eighth of the season.

After a back-and-forth overtime period that featured several odd-man rushes for both teams, Brodeur was the hero for Adirondack as his patience in the 3-on-3 overtime period gave him a lane through the slot, where he went top shelf for the goal, his sixth tally of the season. Greg Wolfe and Jeff Silengo collected the helpers on the play, which gave Adirondack its first overtime win since November in Kalamazoo.

The Thunder finish their three-in-three set tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. in South Carolina before their final of four straight road games on Tuesday in Manchester. The Thunder return home on Thursday against Elmira before they travel to Lake Placid for the first professional game in Lake Placid history on Sunday, March 13, with puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m.

Full Season Tickets for the 2016-17 Adirondack Thunder season are on sale now for just 13 dollars per seat no matter where you sit. Experience Adirondack Thunder Hockey in a more affordable way than ever before. Sign up by March 31st and pay even less. And Full Season Ticket Holders have exclusive access to 2017 CCM/ECHL All Star Classic tickets. For more information and to get your seats now, call 480-3355 extension 1. Experience Thunder Hockey like never before.

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