EDWARDH'S LATE GOAL GIVES ADIRONDACK A POINT IN PORTLAND

PORTLAND, ME – John Edwardh scored his second goal of the night with 104 seconds remaining and the Adirondack net empty as the Thunder came from behind to earn a point in a 5-4 (SO) loss Friday night in Portland.

With the Thunder down 4-3 late in the game, Edwardh collected a pass in the slot from Shane Conacher and rattled his wrist shot top-shelf past Mariners goalie Brandon Halverson to force the game into overtime. 

Mike McNicholas got the scoring started with the game’s only goal in the first period. After Maine’s power play went from a 5-on-3 to a standard 5-on-4, Sean Day carved his way through the Thunder defense and slid a pass to McNicholas on the right side for an easy shot into an open net and 1-0 Mariners lead.

Edwardh got his first of the night just 82 seconds into the middle frame when he tapped in a rebound that was sitting in the crease behind Halverson. Kevin Lough took the original shot for Adirondack from the right point and while everyone was searching for the loose puck, Edwardh snuck in from the edge to tie the game at one goal apiece.

It took just 10 seconds for Justin Breton to restore the Maine lead. After an offensive zone faceoff win for the Mariners, Breton charged the puck and flipped a quick wrister over the far shoulder of Alex Sakellaropoulos for a 2-1 lead.

Adirondack charged back with the next pair of goals. First, it was James Henry converting on a 2-on-1 at 6:11 of the second period. After Maine turned the puck over in its offensive zone, Henry collected and went the length of the ice with Peter MacArthur against a lone Mariners defender. The Thunder captain feigned a pass and ripped a shot over the glove of Halverson for the game’s second tie score.

Shane Conacher gave Adirondack its only lead of the game just over two minutes later with a power-play tally. After MacArthur made a great play to keep the puck in the zone, he slid a pass to Kevin Lough at the right point. Lough fed Conacher at the top of the left faceoff circle where he one-timed a blast past Halverson for his eighth score of the season.

Ryan Gropp answered for the Mariners with 16 seconds remaining in the middle stanza to tie the game 3-3 with his first goal of the year. With Maine on the power play, Brycen Martin fed McNicholas below the red line who went cross-ice for Gropp who was alone at the side of the Thunder cage.

Riley Bourbonnais gave Maine a 4-3 lead just over seven minutes into the final period of regulation. Sakellaropoulos made the first save, but the puck slid out in front of the net and Bourbonnais cleaned up the rebound for his third goal.

Edwardh scored his second of the game with under two minutes to play to force the extra session. After neither side could tally in overtime, Gropp scored the only goal in the shootout to give Maine the extra point.

Edwardh scored two goals tonight after recording four points in Portland during Adirondack’s season-opening 6-3 win over the Mariners.

The Thunder head back home to take on the Brampton Beast tomorrow evening at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. 

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