The Twin City Thunder’s National Collegiate Development Conference team handled its business at the Islanders Hockey Club showcase, wining all three games, including a dominant 8-0 victory over the Rochester Monarchs on Saturday at the Skate 3 complex in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.

Adam Svensson had a goal and three assists and Christian Blomquist had four assists for the Thunder.  Twin City had eight different goal scorers and Alexander Kozic only needed to make 12 saves for the shutout.

“I think the big thing for us, we did what we needed to do to get the win,” Thunder coach Doug Friedman said. “Again, our special teams were cranking really well, but more importantly our five-on-five play was solid … we were playing good in the (defensive zone). We had a couple blocked shots under five minutes left in the third period”

Thunder defensemen did the scoring on the power play in the first period. Oliver Rooth and Bowdoin College recruit Gonzales Hagerman scored 71 seconds apart as the Thunder took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Svensson assisted on both goals.

Defensemen factored in on five of the Thunder’s eight goals.

“When the defensemen are doing a good job of getting pucks through, they have the ability to get on the score sheet,” Friedman said. “Same in the (defensive) zone, when they are moving the pucks out well, they have the ability to get on the score sheet.”

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In the second period, Twin City’s Nick Rashkovsky stretched the lead to 3-0 just past the five-minute mark. Skvarek also found the back of the net before Thunder newcomer Finn Walker made it 5-0 after 40 minutes of play.

Walker, 19, who is from the Cayman Islands, has spent the past four seasons at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, where had 14 goals and 30 assists in 80 career games. He started this season with the Brockville Braves of the Central Canadian Hockey League, appearing in seven games and recording no points.

Friedman hopes Twin City has found another diamond in the rough.

“I think what we are trying to do is trying to find guys who can contribute to our team and play at the college level — guys that might have been overlooked for whatever reason,” Friedman said. “Look at a guy like (Andrew) Kurapov. (Walker) had a good first game. It’s only one game, obviously, guys are going to battling for lineup spots, but he did a good job for game one.”

Kurapov is the Thunder’s leading scorer with six goals and 11 assists is in his second NCDC season after spending last year with the Islanders HC, who which he only recorded a goal and two assists.

The Thunder scored three more times in the third period. Svensson tallied his first goal of the season, and Fisher Shea and Daniels Murnieks concluded the scoring.

The Thunder return home next weekend to take on the Utica Jr. Comets on Friday and Saturday night at Norway Saving Bank Arena.


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