Thunder fall 4-2 in game two, trail 2-0 in series
Manchester, NH – The Adirondack Thunder dropped Game 2 to the Manchester Monarchs by a 4-2 final on Saturday evening at SNHU Arena. The Thunder now trail the Monarchs two games to none in the North Division semifinals and return home for Game 3 on Tuesday.
The Thunder opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 power-play goal midway through the opening period. Following a game misconduct and major penalty from Manchester’s Tony Turgeon, Stepan Falkovsky moved the puck to defensive partner Alex Wall at the point, where he fired past a screened Sam Brittain for the game’s first goal. Falkovsky and forward Brett Pollock collected the assists on the play, the second point of the postseason for both players.
Manchester tied the score at one midway through the first period as it capitalized off of an odd-man rush for their first goal of the evening. After taking a feed from Manchester forward Quentin Shore, forward Matt Leitner saw his first bid denied by Adirondack netminder J.P. Anderson but buried the rebound on his second shot for his first goal of the playoffs. Shore had the lone assist on the play, his series-leading fourth point of the postseason.
Adirondack reclaimed its one-goal advantage as Wall collected his second of the evening 2:10 into the second period. After sustained offensive possession, Pollock fed a cross-ice pass to Wall at the back post, who saw his shot deflect off of a Manchester defenseman and into the back of the net. Wall’s goal was his second of the evening with Pollock and forward Cullen Bradshaw collecting the helpers on the play, Pollock’s third of the playoffs.
The Monarchs once again came back to tie the score, this time with a power-play goal of their own with 3:21 remaining in the second period. After they possessed the puck in the offensive end, defenseman David Kolomatis worked the puck to Shore in the left-hand circle, where he fired a wrist shot past Anderson’s glove hand for his second goal of the playoffs. Kolomatis and Tyler Sikura collected the helpers on the play, Kolomatis’ second point of the 2017 playoffs.
Just under five minutes into the third period, Manchester took its first lead of the evening as forward Ashton Rome collected a power-play goal. Positioned behind the Adirondack net, Leitner sent a pass out in front and Rome connected first time to score through Anderson’s five hole for the go-ahead goal. Rome’s tally was his first of the postseason with Leitner and defenseman Colton Saucerman collecting the assists on the play, Leitner’s second of the playoffs.
The Adirondack Thunder continue the 2017 Kelly Cup Playoffs next week as they return home for Game 3 at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Tuesday, April 18, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for Games 3 and 4 at the Glens Falls Civic Center Box Office from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Individual game tickets start as low as $15 with all fees included. Fans can also purchase the “Playoff Four Pack”, with four ticket, four hot dogs and four sodas for $75.