AUBURN — The Twin City Thunder had chances Saturday night but couldn’t capitalize as the Utica Jr. Comets avoided a weekend sweep with a 4-1 victory in National Collegiate Development Conference junior hockey action at Norway Savings Bank Arena.

“We didn’t have a lot of bounces today; I thought the guys played well overall,” Thunder coach Doug Friedman said. “I thought we made their goalie look pretty good for most of the game by hitting him in the chest. That was the difference, there was nothing spectacular, our shot selection wasn’t great tonight.”

Comets goalie Isak Johansson made 33 saves in the victory, while Alexander Kozic made 29 for the Thunder.

Twin City’s Christian Blomquist started the scoring about five minutes into the game when is cross-ice pass attempt to Lukas Svarek deflected off a Comet’s players leg and into the net.

Blomquist carries a seven-game point streak into the Thanksgiving break. The Thunder won’t be back in action until Dec. 7 when they visit the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs.

The Comets scored two goals before the end of the first period to take a 2-1 lead. Max Techel fired a slap shot from the blue line that went through Kozic’s five-hole. The goal came right after Kozic made a sprawling save.

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Utica next scored on the power play as Mikey Giampapa picked up the loose puck right near the crease and his shot trickled cross the goal line. It was his second goal of the weekend series.

The physical play picked up in the second period, and a mini line brawl broke out 6:34 into the stanza. Utica’s Walter Baumann and Conor Canterbury received two-minue minors for roughing, as did the Thunder’s Gonzales Hagerman, John Kondub and Oliver Rooth. The most significant penalty was on Utica’s Sam Techel, who received a five-minute major for contact to the head, giving the Thunder a power play opportunity.

During the power play, Utica’s Max Techel went to the box for cross-checking and the Thunder had a 5-on-3 advantage, but they couldn’t convert despite a couple of chances.

“Getting a goal there would have been hug. We had some real good possession time, we had some real good looks, our shots selection wasn’t the best,” Friedman said. “It’s tough to have a power play that’s running over 60 percent continually, so, you are going to have some dips and valley.”

The Comets had a five-minute power play of its own when Twin City’s Mathieu Lapierre was called for kneeing. That turned into a 5-on-3 when Rooth was called for interference. The Comets, though, also couldn’t convert.

With the amount of time each team was on the power play and penalty kill, lines had to be shuffled around.

“That what kept me on my toes today, with all the special teams,” Friedman said. “We try to get a gauge on who’s being productive and competing hard throughout the game — at the same time trying to balance, making sure guys aren’t getting (too cold) on the bench by not seeing any ice for a good amount of time.”

Utica scored twice early in the third period. Aleksei Monakhov stretched the lead to 3-1, and Elliot Burgin later closed out the scoring.


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