AUBURN — The Twin City Thunder were shut out for the second consecutive time at home Friday.
South Shore goalie Ben Williams stopped 22 shots, and the Kings defeated the Thunder 4-0 in a USPHL NCDC game at Norway Savings Bank Arena.
“Our goalie had a strong performance from start to finish,” South Shore coach Tyler Holske said. “We regrouped in the second (intermission) and talked to the guys about details and little things. … I thought in the third (period), some of our guys got rewarded for playing the right way.”
In Twin City’s previous home game, Pavel Grishin earned a 2-0 shutout for the Northern Cyclones on Oct. 22.
The Thunder now have lost four games in a row, dating back to that loss to the Cyclones.
“(South Shore) played well as a team and we haven’t executed the last four games,” Thunder coach Dan Hodge said. “Something is not clicking. We have to figure it out and some guys need to step up.”
South Shore’s Nathan Stachowiak skated to a loose puck in front of the Thunder’s crease and beat Twin City goalie Trey Miller (19 saves), giving the Kings a 1-0 lead early in the first period.
Pat Last had the Thunder’s best scoring opportunity late in the first period while the team was shorthanded. He stole the puck from a South Shore player in the slot and tried to jam it into the goal, but Williams made the save.
The Thunder came up short on a couple more scoring chances in the second period. One came after forward Matt Cole, skating on a partial breakaway, was cross-checked by Fabrizio Mazzarelli with about 13:30 remaining in the stanza. Twin City, though, didn’t score on the ensuing power play.
“The power play is not clicking right now. Beginning of the year, we were moving (the puck), we were making things happen on it; we are trying to get back to basics,” Hodge said. “We are trying to reinvent the wheel or something.”
The Thunder were 0-for-5 on the man advantage Friday, while the Kings were 1-for-4.
Later in the second, Gavin Simopoulos of Cape Elizabeth nearly put home a rebound for the Thunder, but Williams stopped him.
The Thunder had a flurry of chances to begin the third period, but Williams was up to the task and each time stopped the puck.
Stachowiak scored his second goal of the contest on a 4-on-3 power play when his backhander went top shelf with 11:43 remaining in the third period.
Shortly after that goal, Joey Melo made it 3-0 when his shot squeaked through Miller’s pads.
“Joey Melo is a 2005 birth year, one of the youngest kids in the league — he’s a really bright kid and has a bright future,” Holske said. “He’s getting (NCAA) Division I interest right now.”
Aiden Lindley capped the scoring for South Shore with under five minutes to play.
The Thunder go on the road to face the Boston Advantage on Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday to face the Junior Bruins at 6:40 p.m.
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