Former Dutchman stands tall in Thunder net
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Freshman goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos got a taste for winning with the 2014 NCAA Division 1 champion Union College Dutchmen.
Five years later, he’s even more hungry for another title, this time with the Adirondack Thunder, which open a busy three-game weekend Friday at home against the Maine Mariners.
Sakellaropoulos is the gold standard by which other Thunder netminders are measured against this year, and a strong candidate for team Most Valuable Player honors. He’s sporting a 175-1 record, including three shutouts, and impressive 2.44 goals against average.
“Winning in my freshman year at Union kept me driving and grinding because I wanted to win another one so bad,” the 24-yearold, second-year pro said. “That’s what brought me to where I am right now.”
Growing up in the South Side suburbs of Chicago, he caught the attention of college recruiters while playing junior hockey.
“However a lot of those schools wanted me to stay in juniors one more year and I honestly wanted out,” Sakellaropoulos said. “I thought I was ready to get after it and go to school. Then I started talking to Joe Dumais, Union’s assistant coach at the time. He said, ‘ We really like you. We’ve got a goalie ( Troy Grosenick), but he might be leaving to pursue an NHL career. If that happens we’re going to have you step right in.’”
Although limited to eight games as a freshman, Sakellaropoulos posted a 4-2-2 record (2.44 gaa). More importantly, the Frozen Four championship was an unforgettable experience to last a lifetime.
“Those guys are my brothers to the end because we won something that’s unbelievable,” Sakellaropoulos said. “It was just a solid group of guys that I’ll definitely call my brothers forever.”
In some respects, that season also instilled in him a winning gene, to help deal with clutch pressure-packed situations.
Sakellaropoulos was 226-2 during his senior year at Union.
“I love to win, I love being a winner,” he said. “I love that Tom Brady mentality. A lot of guys don’t like him, but he wins championships. That’s all people really care about.”
With 20 games left in the regular season, the Thunder (28-18- 4-2) are in second place, 10 points behind front-running Newfoundland in the ECHL’s North Division. But 12 of those remaining contests are at home, which could hold the key to Adirondack earning a playoff berth. The top four
teams in each division qualify.
“We just have to make sure we’re the same highoctane, high- speed team we’ve been all year,” Coach Alex Loh said. “The most important thing is consistency. At this point, everyone should be on board with every facet of the game. Now it’s all about execution.”
The Thunder are 15- 6-3 when playing in front of their ownfans, compared to 13-12-1-2 when they’re away.
Friday’s game against Maine is the first one in Glens Falls in three weeks, following a stretch of seven straight road contests. So the Thunder hope to get on the board early to bring an anticipated large crowd to life.
“What I’m most excited for is just seeing howloudwe can get that arena,” Sakellaropoulos said. “Some nights at home it’s phenomenal. We buzz on that, too. Whenever the fans are rocking it really helps us as well. I just hope we get some good momentum going into the postseason and really put a show on for the fans.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT NIGHT: The Thunder host
the Reading Royals on Saturday. A special Law Enforcement Night to honor local police agencies is planned.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for all fans to kick off a pre-game party in Heritage Hall. There will be bounce houses, blow-ups and other games and activities for kids and adults alike.
Also, a youth jersey will be given to the first 1,000 fans age 14 and younger who enter the building. They are a new-look gray jersey with black, white and red sleeves featuring the primary Thunder logo on the chest.
During the game, the Thunder will wear special law enforcement- themed jerseys highlighting the badges of the Rensselaer, Saratoga and Washington counties’ sheriff’s offices. The jerseys are black with gold piping and showcase an Adirondack Thunder logo across the front. The specialty uniforms will be auctioned off in a live auction after the game. All proceeds will benefit Special Olympics New York.
The Thunder close out the weekend at Reading on Sunday.