GLENS FALLS – Ryan Smith scored twice in Game 1, but the Norfolk Admirals scored four goals in the third period in a 7-4 victory in front of 3,328 at Cool Insuring Arena on Friday night. Norfolk took a 1-0 lead in the North Division Final with the victory.
Norfolk opened the scoring just 2:01 into the game as Thomas Caron tipped a Carson Golder pass into the net by goaltender Isaac Poulter. The goal was Caron’s second of the playoffs from Golder to give the Admirals a 1-0 lead.
Yushiroh Hirano tied the game at one on the power play at 7:02 of the first period. Mac Welsher sent a pass to Hirano, and he beat goaltender Yaniv Perets for his second of the playoffs. Welsher and Filip Engaras were awarded the assists, and the game went into the first intermission tied 1-1.
Keaton Jameson scored just 52 seconds into the second period to give the Admirals a 2-1 lead. Carson Golder and Mathieu Roy were given assists on Jameson’s first of the playoffs.
Adirondack answered back to tie the game at 1:17 of the second period as Ryan Wheeler pushed in a rebound by the right pad of goaltender Yaniv Perets after the original save was made off the stick of Tristan Ashbrook. Ashbrook and Andre Ghantous were credited with assists on Wheeler’s fourth of the playoffs to tie the game 2-2.
Ryan Smith scored his first of the game at 5:02 of the second period as he deflected a shot by Ryan Conroy past goaltender Yaniv Perets to give the Thunder a 3-2 lead. The goal was Smith’s first of the playoffs from Conroy and Yushiroh Hirano.
Norfolk came back to tie the game on a good bounce as Austen Keating played the puck off the skates of Ryan Conroy from the goal line and into the net. The goal was Keating’s third of the playoffs from Mathieu Roy and Carson Golder to even the score 3-3 at 7:03 of the second.
The Thunder took the lead back at 13:24 of the middle frame as Ryan Smith again deflected in a Ryan Conroy shot from the point for his second of the game and the series from Conroy and Tristan Ashbrook. Adirondack took a 4-3 lead into the third period.
In the third period, Norfolk scored four goals for the win. Thomas Caron tied the game 4-4 just 1:45 into the third period. The Admirals took the lead for good at 4:53 of the third as Carson Golder scored his third of the playoffs for a 5-4 lead.
Norfolk added two more goals for the 7-4 victory.
The Thunder will host the Norfolk Admirals in Game 2 of the North Division Final on Saturday, May 4 at Cool Insuring Arena. Tickets are on sale now by CLICKING HERE, visiting the SeatGeek Box Office at Cool Insuring Arena, or the Thunder Front Office.
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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