THREE-GOAL SECOND PERIOD LEADS THUNDER PAST ROYALS 4-2

READING, PA – Alex Sakellaropoulos made 28 saves to win for the second time in less than 24 hours, John Edwardh scored to extend his point streak to 15 consecutive games and the Adirondack Thunder came from behind to top the Royals by a 4-2 final Sunday afternoon at Santander Arena.

Alex Roos and Chris McCarthy scored 21 seconds apart in the first period to give Reading a 2-0 lead, but that’s all the offense the Royals could get as the Thunder swept the home-and-home set. Adirondack used four unanswered goals to win for the second time in two days over Reading.

Dylan Walchuk put Adirondack on the board with the first of three goals in the second period. Blake Thompson entered the offensive zone down the right wing and backhanded a centering feed towards the Reading cage. Walchuk got a stick on the redirection and the puck jumped up and over the blocker of Branden Komm to cut the lead to 2-1. The assist gave Thompson a four-game scoring streak and he has six points (1g-5a) from his last six games played.

The hottest Thunder forward tied the game five minutes later on a great individual effort in front of the net. Defenseman Sean Federow took the initial shot from the point that got blocked in front by a Royals defender. Edwardh found the loose puck, spun and fired an attempt that got blocked again. The Thunder’s leading scorer regathered once more and flicked his wrist shot top corner past a screened Komm to tie the game at two goals apiece.

Peter MacArthur gave Adirondack a lead before the close of the middle frame with a power-play goal. The alternate captain converted off a pretty passing play that started when Kelly Summers found James Henry below the goal-line. The Thunder captain made a one-touch pass to MacArthur who was charging back-door and finished an easy wrist-shot with a one-timer. The goal was MacArthur’s 10th of the season and gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead. 

Alex Sakellaropoulos played a tremendous third period to keep the one-goal lead intact for Adirondack. The rookie goalie turned aside 14 Royals shots in the final period en route to finishing with 28 saves on the afternoon. Sakellaropoulos has won 13 of his last 16 starts in net.

Matt Salhany finished the game’s scoring when he showcased his speed and got in behind the Royals defense for an easy tap-in to an empty net. James Henry collected a helper on the score that gave him his third point of the night.

The Thunder are off during the week before setting off on another three-in-three set next weekend. Adirondack travels to Manchester to play the Monarchs on Friday and Saturday nights before finishing its weekend in Worcester on Sunday. For the latest Thunder news, follow the team on all social media @ECHLThunder.

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