PORTLAND – Tristan Ashbrook recorded three points and Isaac Poulter stopped 25 of 27 shots as the Adirondack Thunder defeated the Maine Mariners at Cross Insurance Arena on Wednesday night, 5-2.
Adirondack scored two goals in 18 seconds to take a 2-0 lead in the first period. Tristan Ashbrook took a tap pass from Eric Alarie and beat goaltender Brad Arvanitis for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Ashbrook’s 29th of the year with assists from Alarie and Yushiroh Hirano just 5:45 into the game.
As the goal announcement was being made, Ryan Wheeler poked a loose puck over the goal line to give the Thunder a 2-0 advantage. Travis Broughman’s chance slipped through the legs of Brad Arvanitis and sat right on the goal line. Wheeler tracked the loose puck and tapped it over the line for his eighth of the year at 6:03 of the first period. Broughman and Zach Walker were given the assists, and the Thunder took the two-goal lead into the intermission.
Early in the second period, Yushiroh Hirano tipped in a Ryan Smith shot on the power play to give the Thunder a 3-0 lead. The goal was Hirano’s 15th of the year with assists from Smith and Tristan Ashbrook at the 1:29 mark for the three-goal advantage.
Maine responded with two goals later in the second to pull within one after two periods. Bennett Stockdale tapped in a loose puck at 15:24 and Gabriel Chicoine pulled the Mariners within one at 18:05 and Adirondack took a 3- 2 lead into the third frame.
In the third period, Tristan Ashbrook and Ryan Smith added empty-net goals in the 5-2 victory. Isaac Poulter denied 25 of 27 shots in the win and the Thunder are one point away from clinching a North Division title.
After two weeks on the road, the Thunder return home for Fan Appreciation Weekend to finish the regular season on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 against Maine. Giveaways all weekend, Fan Appreciation Poster Giveaway on Saturday, $4 Bud Light, and Jersey Off Our Back on Sunday.
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