The Twin City Thunder are building success on the road.
Trace Norwell had a two-goal game to help the Thunder defeat the Philadelphia Hockey Club 4-3 in a USPHL National Collegiate Development Conference game Thursday at the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.
The win was the team’s third straight road win after starting the year 1-7.
“We had a lot of guys contribute (today), and it’s our (third) road win in a row on the short season, but we are excited about it,” Twin City Thunder coach Dan Hodge said. “We had a pretty solid performance from start to finish.”
Justin Nakawga scored his second goal of the season to give Philadelphia (6-7-6, 18 points) a 1-0 lead early in the second period.
The Thunder (9-7-1, 19 points) responded at the 5:40 mark of the middle period when Norwell, a 19-year old forward, tied the game at 1-1 with a power-play goal.
Twin City was 1-for-5 on the man advantage while Philadelphia was 0-for-6.
Tristan Rand gave Twin City a 2-1 lead seven seconds later for his sixth goal of the year.
Trenton Skaggs had an assist on each of the Thunder’s first two goals, and he’s been taking the coaching staff’s advice of shooting the puck more often.
“On Rand’s goal, (Skaggs) shot it wide, and it hit Rand right on the stick,” Hodge said. “(Rand then) was able to get a quick shot on net (for the goal).”
Norwell notched his second goal of the game with under nine minutes remaining in the second period.
It was Norwell’s second two-goal game of the season and he now has five goals total.
After killing a late penalty in the second period, the Thunder went on the offensive just past the two-minute mark of the third period. Lyncoln Bielenberg-Howarth scored to make it 4-1, and Artem Kazakov had the assist.
Philadelphia started to chip away at the deficit. Cody Blight scored his ninth goal of the year just before the four-minute mark. Former Thunder player Christian Blomquist, who also attended Maine Nordiques training camp this summer, had the assist.
Ryan Mulholland scored just past the halfway mark of the third period to close the deficit to 4-3.
While the goals weren’t on the power play, the Thunder got in penalty trouble in the third period, which got them off rhythm.
“(Defenseman Nolan Sargent) took a cross-checking penalty five minutes into the period, Nate Chickering got whistled for two penalties,” Hodge said. “It kind of kills the momentum, and of course, Chickering is one of our top penalty-killers. It’s hard on the players who aren’t used to being in that position (of killing penalties).”
The Thunder were able to shut the door the rest of the way.
Nick Bernstein made 21 saves in the win for the Thunder. Jacob Torgner stopped 15 shots for Philadelphia.
The Thunder are back in action at the Islanders HC Showcase on Friday against the Utica Jr. Comets at 2:35 p.m. in Tyngsboro.
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