THUNDER TAKE DOWN ROYALS 5-2

GLENS FALLS - Andre Ghantous, Tristan Ashbrook and Erik Middendorf each had a two-point night as the Adirondack Thunder defeated the visiting Reading Royals, 5-2, at Cool Insuring Arena on Friday night in front of 4,305.

Adirondack opened the scoring 8:44 into the game as Ryan Wheeler stepped up in the offensive zone and fired a shot from the left circle over the shoulder of goaltender Nolan Maier. The goal was Wheeler’s seventh of the year and gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Andre Ghantous returned to the lineup and got back on the scoreboard with his third of the year. After Tristan Ashbrook was denied, Ghantous got to the rebound and beat Maier for a 2-0 lead at 9:23 with assists from Ashbrook and Erik Middendorf. The goal was the ninth point in the first five games for Ghantous.

Reading answered back to get on the board as Tag Bertuzzi beat Isaac Poulter from the left circle for his 17th of the year. Bertuzzi’s goal was assisted by Tyson Fawcett and Yvan Mongo at 11:37 of the first period and the Thunder took a one-goal lead into the intermission.

After no scoring in the second, Erik Middendorf fired in a power-play goal to give the Thunder a 3-1 lead. Andre Ghantous moved into the offensive zone and left the puck for Middendorf, and he beat Nolan Maier for his 18th goal of the year just 55 seconds into the third.

The Royals came back within one goal as Powell Connor trailed the play and beat Isaac Poulter from the hash marks to decrease Adirondack’s lead to 3-2. The goal was Powell’s first with helpers from Jake Bricknell and Ryan Cox at 3:46 of the third frame.

Ryan Smith scored to put the Thunder up by two at 7:17 of the third on a scramble in front of the net. After Nolan Maier made the original save, Smith tracked down the loose puck and beat him for his 26th of the year from Mac Welsher and T.J. Friedmann for a 4-2 lead.

Adirondack added to the lead as Tristan Ashbrook put the puck into an empty net to take a 5-2 lead with 2:42 left in the third. That score held up as the final as Isaac Poulter stopped 20 of 22 for the win.

Adirondack maintains a four-point lead over second-place Norfolk.

The Thunder will return home tomorrow to finish Stick it to Cancer Weekend against Reading. Enjoy $4 Bud Light and stay after the game for a postgame jersey auction to benefit the C.R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital.

The 2023-24 regular season schedule is HERE.

Single game tickets and season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! For more information on ticket packages, call the front office at 518-480-3355 or visit www.echlthunder.com/tickets. For all the latest Adirondack Thunder news, follow the team on all social media @ECHLThunder.

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