The Twin City Thunder generated only 26 shots in a 3-2 loss to the New Hampshire Monarchs in a USPHL National Collegiate Development Conference junior hockey contest Friday.

New Hampshire, meanwhile, put 43 shots on goal.

“We didn’t play at the level we needed to play, in a sense, we sorta beat ourselves for 55 minutes of that game tonight,” Thunder coach Doug Friedman said. “Our focus and our effort and our execution wasn’t where it needed to be. The Monarchs played a solid game, but we weren’t at that level where we needed to be to have success.”

The Thunder took a 1-0 lead early in the first period when Christian Blomquist found the back of the net.

New Hampshire struck with 40 seconds remaining in the first period as CJ Duvall potted a power play goal.

The Monarchs carried the momentum into the second period, adding a goal by Tanner Daniels around the three-minute mark.

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The game remained 2-1 until the final two minutes of the game when Gabe Malek added an empty netter to extend the lead to 3-1.

Blomquist added his second goal of the game for Twin City shortly thereafter.

“We had a late-game surge. Again, I will give our guys credit, they didn’t stop playing hard and they didn’t quit,” Friedman said. “We needed that (effort) the entire game. It was tough, we couldn’t get out of our own way for the majority of the game.”

The Thunder were facing the Monarchs’ 17-year-old goalie Simon Bucheler  (24 saves) for the first time Friday. New Hampshire had Matt Pasquale in goal in the teams’ previous three meetings this season, but Pasquale left the team earlier this week to join the Northeast Generals of the NAHL. He made his debut with the Generals on Friday in 7-6 win over the Maine Nordiques.

Twin City’s Alexander Kozic, who was named NCDC Goalie of the Week on Friday, made 41 saves in the loss.

Before the game, the Thunder brought in draft pick Andy Moore of Cumberland and Greely High School. The senior started the season with Greely and played Thursday night in a 6-1 win over Cape Elizabeth, scoring one goal and assisting on two others. In five games for Greely, he has five goals and four helpers. He will complete the season with Greely and will play with the Thunder whenever he’s able.

“Going into (the season) we knew Andy was going to stay at Greely to complete his senior year to play for his high school hockey team, which is great, we supported that,” Friedman said. “He has been able to come to some practices when it works out with his schedule, especially early on in the season. We are going to get him in more games to get him more experience.”

Friedman said Moore didn’t suit up for the Thunder prior to the high school season because he was on Greely’s soccer team and the schedules didn’t line up for him to appear in any games.


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