GLENS FALLS, NY – The Adirondack Thunder saw five different goal scorers hit the back of the net on Wednesday as they downed the Maine Mariners by a final score of 5-2.
James Henry, Antoine Waked, Hayden Verbeek, Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Matt Salhany each recorded their first goal of the 2019-20 season as the Thunder moved to 3-1-0-1. Adirondack pushed 25 shots on goal against Maine netminder Tom McCollum, while Michael McNiven stopped 26 of 28 to secure his first win of the year.
The Thunder struck on the power play for the first time since October 11th, game one of the 2019-20 season, and finished 2-for-3 on the man advantage. The Mariners failed to capitalize on any of their three opportunities.
Adirondack netted their first shorthanded goal of the season after Verbeek forced a turnover at the blueline. Pierro-Zabotel finished off a Verbeek pass to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead 7:01 into the first period.
While the Thunder were on their first power play of the game, forward Waked picked up his first goal of the season. Henry and Mike Szmatula forced a goalmouth scramble and goaltender McCollum could not recover. Adirondack took a 2-0 lead at 14:34 of the first.
The Mariners pulled within one by scoring the only goal of the second period when Jake Elmer made no mistake on a backdoor feed from Scott Savage at 13:36. Michael McNicholas was credited with the secondary assist.
It took the Thunder just 47 seconds to cash in on the power play to kick off the third period. Henry received a pass from Charlie Curti and ripped it over the glove of McCollum to extend Adirondack’s lead to two once again.
Forty-five seconds later, Salhany found himself behind the Mariners defense and beat McCollum clean for his first of the season. Pierro-Zabotel and Conor Riley on the assists at 1:32 of the third.
Maine made it a 4-2 game at 12:43 when Ryan Dmowski converted on a Gabriel Verpaelst turnover. The goal was Dmowski’s first of the season, unassisted.
The Thunder sealed it with an empty-netter with 2:38 to go in regulation. Verbeek grabbed the puck from Robbie Payne and notched his first of the year to make it 5-2.
Thunder Notes: James Henry’s first game of the 2019-20 season featured 1 goal, 1 assist and 2 shots on net… Casey Pierro-Zabotel tallied his first goal as a member of the Thunder in a two-point performance… Michael McNiven stood tall for a bounce-back performance to grab his first win in a Thunder sweater
Up Next: The Thunder will face the Worcester Railers on Friday night for Military Appreciation Night. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
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