The Twin City Thunder’s National Collegiate Development Conference team fell in an early hole against the Northern Cyclones and couldn’t dig themselves out in a 5-3 loss at Cyclones Arena in Hudson, New Hampshire, on Friday.

Thunder coach Doug Friedman thought the team played well enough to earn a better outcome.

“I think we played a pretty good game, I wouldn’t say a great game,” Friedman said. “Overall, we did some good things out there, especially on the offensive side. We just had trouble finding the back of the net. I think more so with us, we mishandled the puck or missed the net, things like that.”

Zach Rehbaum led the Cyclones with two goals, and Nick Rashkowsky scored a pair for the Thunder.

The scoring began in opening two minutes of the game when Northern’s Cade DeStefani fed Zach Rehbaum with a pass at the top of the crease and Rehbaum put the puck past Thunder goalie Alexander Kozic (41 saves).

Rashkowsky picked up his first goal on a power play about four minutes into the openign period. Christian Blomquist slid a cross-ice pass to Rashkowsky, who was standing alone near the crease on the weak side for an easy score.

The Cyclones scored on a Niklas Bretschneider power play goal to go up 2-1 a little more than six minutes into the game.

Preston Park made Northern’s lead 3-1 with a tally midway through the first.

“It was a two-goal spread for most of the game,” Friedman said. “Our guys didn’t quit, we had some great opportunities, either we missed the net or (Northern Cyclones goalie Blaine Moore) made a good save. We had three or four that hit the side of the net that on the bench it looked like it was going in when it hit the netting.”

Moore made 39 saves.

Rashkowsky scored his second goal 10 seconds into the second period to get the Thunder within one, 3-2.

Evan Pringle restored the Cyclones’ two-goal lead just past the four-minute mark of the middle frame.

Adam Svensson cut the Thunder’s deficit to 4-3 midway through the third period with a power play goal.

The goal came on Northern’s Finn McLean’s five-minute major, but Friedman didn’t think his team took full advantage of the opportunity.

“The remainder of (power play) we didn’t get a lot of shots,” Friedman said. “We had really good movement, really good passing on it, but we were really too concerned with moving the puck around and evading pressure than getting pucks to the net when we had (shooting) lanes.”

The Thunder were 2-for-5 on the man advantage, while the Cyclones went 1-for-6.

Rehbaum capped the scoring with 38 seconds remaining in the game with an empty-net goal.

The Thunder return to the Norway Savings Bank Arena on Saturday when they host the Boston Junior Bruins. The Thunder’s Premier League team hosts the Jr. Bruins at 4 p.m. before the NCDC squads face off at 7 p.m.