Glens Falls, NY – Adirondack Thunder forward Ty Loney scored the game-winning goal 1:36 into overtime to help lift his team past the Worcester Railers by a 2-1 final on Friday evening at Cool Insuring Arena.
Forwards Ty Loney and Pierre-Luc Mercier found the back of the net for Adirondack, which snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory. Goaltender Nick Riopel earned his seventh victory of the season with a 20-save effort between the pipes.
After a goal-less first period, the Railers opened the scoring on the evening as forward Barry Almeida scored a power-play goal 8:52 into the second. After Nick Saracino played the puck behind the net, a bounce of the stanchion sent the puck in front of the Adirondack goal to an uncovered Almeida, who slotted a shot underneath the crossbar for the game's first goal. Almeida's goal was his fifth of the season with Saracino picked up the lone helper on the play, his third.
The Thunder tied the game at one with 6:10 remaining in regulation as Mercier found the back of the net for the third time in his last four games to knot the score at one. With Adirondack on the man advantage, forward Terrence Wallin fed Mercier at the top of the left-hand circle, where the rookie forward wired a slap shot over the shoulder of Worcester netminder Eamon McAdam for his fifth goal of the season. Wallin and defenseman Kevin Lough collected the assists on the play, the 11th of the season for Lough.
After Worcester forward Matt Gaudreau took a holding penalty just 75 seconds into overtime, Adirondack converted on the man advantage 21 seconds later for the victory. Forward Shane Conacher hit a streaking Loney in front of the net, where he went to his backhand and beat McAdam high on the blocker side for the game-winning goal, his 13th tally of the season. Conacher and defenseman Desmond Bergin picked up the assists on the play, the eighth of the season for Bergin.
The Thunder are back in action tomorrow evening as they host the Brampton Beast at 7:00 p.m. at Cool Insuring Arena. Tomorrow’s game is the annual Teddy Bear Toss and the first post-game skate of the season, presented by Glens Falls Hospital. Visit ECHLThunder.com or call 518-480-3355 x1 for tickets to any of the Thunder’s ten December home games.
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