Glens Falls, NY – The Adirondack Thunder fell 3-0 to the Manchester Monarchs in Game 4 of the North Division Finals on Thursday evening at Cool Insuring Arena. With the defeat, the series is now tied at two games apiece heading into Game 5 on Sunday evening in Manchester.
Adirondack was led between the pipes by goaltender Drew Fielding, who suffered his first career postseason defeat despite 28 saves.
Manchester opened the scoring 5:23 into the game as forward Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman collected his first goal of the series. On a 2-on-1 rush, forward Zac Lynch slid a feed from right-to-left across the ice to LaVallee-Smotherman, who tapped it home at the back post for the game’s first goal. Lynch and forward Matt Leitner collected the assists on the play, Lynch’s sixth of the postseason.
The Monarchs also netted the lone goal of the middle stanza as Leitner found the back of the net to give the visitors a two-goal advantage. Lynch took a cross-ice feed from LaVallee-Smotherman inside the offensive zone before he fed a streaking Leitner at the back post, where he redirected the pass by Fielding for the goal. Leitner’s tally marked his second of the 2018 playoffs while Lynch and LaVallee-Smotherman each picked up their second assist of the game on the play.
The visitors extended their advantage to three goals as defenseman Colton Saucerman scored his second of the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs with 8:43 remaining in the game. Stationed in the left-wing corner, forward Tony Cameranesi fed Saucerman moving in from the point and the Manchester blueliner beat Fielding with a wrist shot on the blocker side for the insurance tally. Cameranesi and forward Matt Marcinew collected the assists on the play, Cameranesi’s first of the postseason.
The North Division Finals now shifts to Manchester for Game 5, which will be held on Sunday evening at SNHU Arena, with puck drop slated for 6:00 p.m. For more information on Adirondack Thunder playoff hockey, visit ECHLThunder.com/playoffs or call 518-480-3355.
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