SALHANY'S OVERTIME TALLY GIVES THUNDER 5-4 WIN!

GLENS FALLS, NY – Matt Salhany finished a rebound opportunity in front of the net at 3:23 of overtime to give the Adirondack Thunder a 5-4 victory over the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday night at Cool Insuring Arena.

John Edwardh set the goal up when he came charging down the right wing with a backhand shot attempt. Admirals goalie Ty Reichenbach poked the puck free but right to Salhany in the slot where he roofed a quick wrister for the game-winner. Salhany’s goal was his seventh of the season and gives him eight points (3g-5a) in his last seven games.

Thunder forward Pete MacArthur opened the game’s scoring with a power-play goal just more than halfway through the opening period. Matias Cleland fed Edwardh at the left circle and he made a tremendous cross-ice pass to MacArthur at the right circle. The alternate captain collected the puck and bombed a slap-shot by Reichenbach for the game’s first goal.

Norfolk recorded the next trio of goals that started when Luke Nogard flipped a backhand by Buffalo before the end of the opening period. Taylor Cammarata gave the Admirals their first lead of the night when teed up a shot from the center point that beat Devin Buffalo through the five-hole less than two minutes into the second period. Chris Crane doubled the Ads lead when he skated through the Thunder defense and got a backhand attempt to go for a 3-1 Norfolk advantage.

Adirondack not only got right back into the game but took the lead with the next trio of goals. Mike Szmatula started the comeback with a tremendous individual effort from the left wing for his 13th score of the year. Kevin Lough fed a charging Szmatula on the power play and he went straight to the net before finishing five-hole after a nifty deke on Reichenbach. Dylan Walchuk recorded an assist on the play extending his point streak to five consecutive games.

Szmatula tied the team lead with his 14th goal on a fantastic feed from Conor Riley, with whom he’s tied for tops on the Thunder. Riley stole an Admirals pass from behind the Norfolk net and fed Szmatula who was sitting in the slot. The rookie forward took himself down to one knee and one-timed it to tie the game at three goals apiece.

Edwardh gave Adirondack its second lead of the night halfway through the third period with the team’s third power-play goal of the evening. MacArthur corralled a pass from Cleland at the right circle and somehow found Edwardh in the center slot. The former UMass-Lowell Riverhawk collected and finished top-shelf for his eight tally this season.

Domenic Alberga tied the game just 90 seconds later when he got a tip in front on an original shot from TJ Melancon. The 4-4 score would stay for the remainder of regulation necessitating the extra period of play.

Edwardh and Cleland picked up helpers on Salhany’s overtime goal, giving them both three-point nights for Adirondack. 

Devin Buffalo turned aside 21 shots in net for his second-career ECHL win. The eight-game point streak is the longest streak of the year for the Thunder.

The Thunder wrap up their seven-game homestand Tuesday evening when the Manchester Monarchs make their return to Glens Falls. For the latest Thunder news, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ECHLThunder.

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