THUNDER EARN POINT BUT FALL 3-2 IN SHOOTOUT IN WORCESTER

Worcester, MA – The Adirondack Thunder earned a valuable point but fell 3-2 in the shootout to the Worcester Railers on Sunday afternoon at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Forwards Kenton Miller and Brian Ward found the back of the net for Adirondack while forward Terrence Wallin scored his his team’s lone goal in the shootout. Goaltender Olivier Mantha made 35 saves, a professional career-high, to help his team earn a point.

The Thunder opened the scoring midway through the first period as Kenton Miller scored just over six minutes into his Adirondack Thunder debut for his 22nd goal of the season. Miller, playing in his first game with Adirondack after he was acquired in a trade from Rapid City on Thursday, took a feed from teammate James Henry at the top of the circle and beat Worcester netminder Mitch Gillam over the right shoulder for his 22nd goal overall this season. Henry and forward Terrence Wallin tallied assists on the play, Wallin’s 26th of the season.

Worcester knotted the game at one just 97 seconds into the second period as forward Jeff Kubiak scored his tenth goal of the season. Just moments after Mantha robbed Kubiak on a point-blank chance in front, the Railers collected the rebound and forward Woody Hudson’s blocked shot fell to Kubiak just outside of the crease where he slotted it home for the game-tying goal. Hudson and defenseman Justin Hamonic collected the assists on the play, Hudson’s seventh of the season.

Adirondack regained the lead 6:44 into the second period as Ward found the back of the net to become the first Thunder player this season to reach the 25-goal marker. Forward Troy Bourke fed defenseman Mike Bergin at the left point, where the Thunder captain saw his shot redirected by Ward in the slot, past Gillam, for the 2-1 advantage. Bergin and Bourke collected the assists on the play, Bourke’s 20th point of the season.

The Railers returned serve late in the middle stanza as forward Matt Lane collected his tenth goal of the season to tie the game at two with 3:15 left in the second. Stationed at the right point, defenseman Ryan MacKinnon sent a shot towards the Adirondack net that Lane redirected from the slot, past Mantha, for Worcester’s second tying goal of the afternoon. MacKinnon and forward Frankie DiChiara collected the assists on the play, DiChiara’s 13th helper of the season.

After a scoreless overtime period, the two teams went to the shootout, where Worcester was victorious in 12 rounds. Forwards Wallin and DiChiara canceled each other out in the fourth round, before defenseman Mike Cornell won the game in Round 12.

The Thunder are back in action next weekend for three games, including two at home on Friday and Saturday evenings at Cool Insuring Arena. Visit ECHLThunder.com or call 518-480-3355 x1 to get tickets for all upcoming Thunder home games.

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