Adirondack Thunder are home after three game road trip to start season
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » After starting the season with a 1-1-1 record in three road games, the Adirondack Thunder entertain the Worcester Railers in their 2019-20 home opener at Cool Insuring Arena on Saturday.
Opening faceoff is set for 7 p. m., preceded by live music, games and bounce houses in Heritage Hall.
The Thunder lineup features several returning veterans such as team captain James Henry, Shane Conacher, Conor Riley and Mike Szmatula in addition to new players such as goalies Eamon McAdam and Michael McNiven.
Szmatula, last year’s team MVP, recorded 48 points (27 goals, 21 assists) in 60 games and had two American Hockey League call-ups to the Stockton Heat and Utica Comets.
Adirondack won its first game of the new year by defeating the Maine Mariners, 5-2, last Friday. McAdam backstopped Adiron
dack to victory, making 31 saves on 33 shots.
The Thunder power play converted on two of their five opportunities and held the Mariners to one power play goal on five chances. Adirondack led the shot total 42-33, including a second period that saw the Thunder outshoot the Mariners 16-2.
But things didn’t go so well the next night as the Thunder dropped a 5-1 decision at Worcester. Three first period goals by the Railers put the Thunder into a hole they couldn’t crawl out of.
Adirondack was outshot 13-3 in the first period and ended up getting bested in the shot column 31-25. Michael McNiven, Adirondack’s netminder, stopped 26 of 31 shots that he faced while Railers’ netminder, Jakub Skarek, turned away24of 25.
In a Columbus Day matinee, the Thunder traveled to Brampton, Ontario and lost, 4-3, in a shootout. But by going to overtime, Adirondack picked up a standings point, which puts them in second place, one point behind reigning league champion Newfoundland in the ECHL’s North Division standings.
Thunder forwards Felix Girard, Robbie Payne and Riley each registered a goal in the defeat.
The Thunder travel to Maine on Tuesday and return home next Friday (Oct. 25) to play the Railers again.