Growlers return home, edge Thunder

ST. JOHN’S, NL – The Newfoundland Growlers returned home from a lengthy five-game road trip and picked up a dramatic 4-3 victory against the Adirondack Thunder Wednesday night at Mile One Centre.

Dylan Vander Esch made the Thunder pay for their first-period penalty troubles by roofing his seventh of the season behind Evan Cormier to give the Growlers a 1-0 lead with 3:57 remaining in the first period. The Thunder looked to tie the game just 30 seconds later, but their two-on-one rush hit the post and deflected wide as the Growlers carried a one-goal lead into the locker room after 20 minutes of play.

Miles Gendron picked up his second goal in as many games when he doubled the lead at 3:15 of the middle stanza after his backhander squeaked through Cormier for a 2-0 game, and Brady Ferguson dangled his way through the Thunder for a highlight reel tally just over three minutes later giving the Growlers a 3-0 lead.

Colby Sissons gave the Thunder life at the 8:29 mark of the second period after his point blast picked the top corner of Angus Redmond cutting the deficit to two, and Aza Nazarian scored with 4:14 remaining in the period, but Marcus Power re-stored the two-goal lead with 1:35 to play for a 4-2 Growlers through 40 minutes.

The Thunder cut the lead to one with 2:27 remaining in the game when Conor Riley beat Redmond while on a six-on-five advantage with Cormier pulled for an extra attacker for a 4-3 game, but that’s as close as the visitors would come as the Growlers held on for the victory.

Quick Hits: Marcus Power has six points in his last two games…Angus Redmond picked up his team-leading 14th win of the season… The three stars were 3 – C. Sissons (ADK), 2 – M. Power (NFL) and 1 – B. Ferguson (NFL)

What’s Next: The Newfoundland Growlers continue their three-game home stand Friday night in a rematch with the Adirondack Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. Puck drop is 7 p.m. Newfoundland time (5:30 p.m. Eastern time).

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