Thunder Spoil Mariners' Home Opener, Win 5-2

PORTLAND, ME – The Adirondack Thunder picked up their first win of the 2019-20 season with a 5-2 victory over the Maine Mariners. It was the second straight season that the Thunder kicked off the season with a defeat of the Mariners on their home ice.The Thunder scored quickly into the game and tacked on two powerplay goals.in the second, before notching two more even-strength strikes in the third. Eamon McAdam backstopped Adirondack to victory, making 31 saves on 33 shots. Mariners' goaltender Tom McCollum stopped 38 of the 42 shots that came his way.The Thunder powerplay converted on two of their five opportunities and held the Mariners to one powerplay goal on five chances. Adirondack led the shot total 42-33, including a second period that saw the Thunder outshoot the Mariners 16-2.Scoring Plays

• Ara Nazarian cashed in on a rebound just 47 seconds into the first period. Charlie Curti and Antoine Waked assisted on Nazarian's first professional tally. The assist was Curti's first pro point.
• Adirondack extended their lead with a powerplay goal in the second period. Colby Sissons entered the offensive zone and fed it to Robbie Payne. Payne wristed it off of the right pad of McCollum and caromed right to Shane Conacher who ripped it top shelf to take a 2-0 advantage at 4:33 of the second. 
• Felix Girard knocked home a loose puck after a goalmouth scramble on another Adirondack powerplay for his first ECHL goal. Antoine Waked and Robbie Payne were credited with the assists at 11:08 of the second. 
• Maine would get on the board on a powerplay of their own. Forward Taylor Cammarata would wait out Eamon McAdam who went to his right. Cammarata beat a sprawling McAdam to put his team within two. Michael McNicholas and Jonathan Racine would be credited on the assists at 12:18.
• Cammarata would pick up a second goal after a puck deflected off of his left shoulder and past McAdam to cut the Thunder lead to just one. The goal came just 1:46 after his first tally and Terrence Wallin and Zach Tolkinen would get the assists.
• Adirondack would answer right back when Felix Girard grabbed his second of the game when he took the puck from the near boards towards the net and snuck it past McCollum. Kelly Summers and Conor Riley got the assists at 16:23 of the third period.
• Robbie Payne would cash in on the empty net after getting a feed from Nikita Popugaev. Hayden Verbeek would get the secondary assist with 1:16 left in the third.

Thunder Notes

• Ara Nazarian, Felix Girard, Nikita Popugaev and Charlie Curti.all picked up their first ECHL points.
• Shane Conacher left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury. 

Up Next

The Thunder look to spoil another home opener tomorrow night when they battle the Worcester Railers at the DCU Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Follow the ThunderFor more information on the Adirondack Thunder, follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@ECHLThunder) and on the web at ECHLThunder.com

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