MAC ATTACK WINS GAME 2 IN OVERTIME

Manchester, NH – The Adirondack Thunder took a 2-0 series lead over the Manchester Monarchs with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory on Friday evening at Verizon Wireless Arena. Peter MacArthur’s overtime game winner was the difference as the Thunder won both road games headed into Game 3 on home ice tomorrow evening.

Manchester opened the scoring for their first lead of the series as they converted after a succession of offensive zone chances. Joey Diamond’s shot from near the goal line was denied by Appleby, but the rebound went directly into the crease where Maxim Kitsyn banged it home for the goal. Kitsyn’s tally was his first of the 2016 playoffs, while Diamond and defenseman Alex Roach collected the helpers, the first assist of the postseason for both players.

Adirondack knotted the score at one midway through the first period as Michael Kirkpatrick converted after a fantastic individual effort from Greg Wolfe to even the game at one. After Wolfe weaved his way through the Manchester defense, he saw his bid denied by Manchester netminder Doug Carr, but Kirkpatrick followed the play and slotted his rebound through the five hole for his second goal of the playoffs. Wolfe had the lone helper on the play, his fourth point in two playoff games.

The visitors added a second tally with 4:37 to play in the opening period as Mitchell Heard collected his first of the postseason. After a sequence of Thunder shots, the puck squirted out to defenseman Joe Faust at the point, who saw his bid denied by Carr, but Heard buried the rebound at the back post for his first point of the postseason. Faust and Peter MacArthur collected the assists on the play, the second in as many nights for MacArthur.

The Thunder got on the board with a power-play goal of their own with under eight minutes left in the second period, coming off the stick of Mathieu Brodeur. Brodeur took the feed from Patch Alber, wound up and blasted a rocket of a shot over the outstretched glove of Manchester goalie Doug Carr for his ninth tally on the year. Alber picked up his 28th assist on the play, while Michael Kirkpatrick, who contributed the secondary assist on the play, his thirtieth, stretched his point streak to three games.

With 11:08 to play in the third, Manchester tied the score at two as Zac Larazza scored the game tying goal for the second straight game. After the Thunder broke up a rush into the offensive zone, the deflected puck went right onto Larazza’s stick in the slot and the Arizona native fired a low shot past Appleby’s right pad for his second goal of the postseason. Larazza’s goal was assisted by Matt Fornataro and Matt Leitner collected the assists on the play, the first points of the playoffs for both forwards.

Manchester struck again just over a minute later, as they regained the lead off of Troy Power’s first goal of the playoffs. With the Monarchs charging after Larazza’s goal, Power crashed the net and buried a rebound off of a Fornataro shot for the first playoff goal of his professional career. Fornataro and Sauve collected the assists on the play, the second point of the evening for the Manchester captain Fornataro.

Adirondack found an equalizer with less than six minutes to play in the third as Wolfe collected his third tally of the playoffs to knot the score at three. Off of an offensive zone faceoff, the puck came back to Wolfe at the top of the left-hand circle and he fired a wrist shot past Carr for his second point of the evening. The lone assist on the play went to Kirkpatrick, who picked up his second point of the game as well.

With the score knotted at three through regulation, the game progressed to overtime where MacArthur provided the fireworks with the game winning goal 9:40 into the extra session. The Clifton Park native took a feed from Heard at the top of the circle, skated around the net and buried the wrap around goal to send the Thunder home happy. MacArthur’s goal was his first of the playoffs and second point of the evening, while Heard and Ben Johnson collected the helpers on the play.

All 2015-16 full and partial season ticket holders and 2016-17 full season ticket holders can get round one of the playoffs at the 2016-17 full season ticket price of $13 per game, not including sales tax or facility fee. All 2015-16 full season ticket holders with Youth, Bronze or Silver packages will be grandfathered for round one at their 2015-16 per game rate. Any 2015-16 or 2016-17 full season ticket holders should visit the Thunder front office (playoff extended hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.) or call 518-480-3355 x1 to reserve their playoff location. Group tickets are also on sale now. Any group can get tickets for all three Round One games by visiting the Thunder front office or by calling 518-480-3355 x1.

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