STINGRAYS FORCE GAME 7 WITH 4-1 WIN OVER THUNDER

North Charleston, SC – The Adirondack Thunder fell by a 4-1 final in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Final Series against the South Carolina Stingrays on Tuesday evening at the North Charleston Coliseum. South Carolina’s victory forces a winner-takes-all, Game 7 tomorrow evening at 7:05 p.m.

The Stingrays got on the scoreboard first just 6:38 into the game as Joe Devin collected the puck off of an offensive zone faceoff and beat Adirondack netminder Ken Appleby for his team leading eighth goal of the postseason. After Darcy Zajac won the draw, Devin cut in from the left side, collected the puck and fired past Appleby’s glove hand for the goal. The tally ties Devin for the ECHL lead in goals, while Zajac collected his tenth goal of the playoffs with the lone assist.

South Carolina pushed its lead to two with 7:15 to play in the first period as they converted on the man advantage. Stationed below the goalline, Zajac hit a streaking Vigier through traffic in front and the South Carolina forward slotted it past Appleby for the goal, his third of the playoffs. Zajac and Spencer Humphries collected the assists on the play, the second point of the night for Zajac and the fourth point in four games during the postseason for Humphries.

Adirondack got one back with just 11 seconds to play in the opening period as they capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play to cut their deficit to 2-1. With two Stingrays in the penalty box, Greg Wolfe fed the puck across the ice to Mathieu Brodeur, who one-timed it past South Carolina netminder Mark Dekanich for the Thunder’s first goal of the evening and Brodeur’s second of the playoffs. Wolfe and Peter MacArthur collected the assists on the play, Wolfe’s 13th point of the postseason, a team high.

After an overturned goal for Adirondack, the home side capitalized less than two minutes later as Austin Fyten collected his fourth goal of the playoffs with a power-play goal. Defenseman Bobby Shea fed the puck across the ice right into the wheelhouse for Fyten and the South Carolina forward put a one-timer past Appleby from the right side for the goal. Shea and D’Agostino collected the assists on the play, the fourth assist of the playoffs for both defensemen.

After Adirondack was assessed a pair of minors on one shift, the Stingrays capitalized on the 5-on-3 advantage with a goal just 21 seconds into their power play. Zajac was once again the playmaker for South Carolina as he set up Stephan Vigier for a one-timer from the right-hand circle, which the Stingrays’ forward buried for his third goal of the playoffs. Zajac and David Pacan had the assists on the play, the third of the night for Zajac and the seventh of the playoffs for Pacan.

The third period featured no goals but had five fights, all within the game’s final 70 seconds mins. The ending to Game 6 sets up Game 7 tomorrow evening, the first in Adirondack Thunder franchise history. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m. and Thunder fans can watch live at O’Toole’s Restaurant Pub in Queensbury or Dango’s Irish Pub in Glens Falls.

###

Experience The Thunder