Junior hockey: Adrian Franco leads Utica Jr. Comets past Twin City Thunder

The Twin City Thunder enter the Thanksgiving break on a three-game losing streak.

Thursday morning, the Utica Jr. Comets defeated the Thunder 4-2 in a USPHL NCDC game in Hudson, New Hampshire. The game was a part of the Islanders Hockey Club Showcase.

“We skated hard, but we weren’t getting anything accomplished,” Thunder coach Dan Hodge said. “It’s one of those situations where you are working hard trying to do stuff, but things weren’t going our way.”

Adrian Franco scored two first-period goals to lead the Comets.

The Thunder (10-10-1, 21 points) took a 1-0 lead for the second game in a row. Matthew Cole opened the scoring a little over three minutes into the game, with Edvin Robertsson recording the assist.

Cole notched an assist in Wednesday’s 7-6 loss to the Mercer Chiefs, but his tally Thursday was only his second goal since rejoining the team after starting the season with the Shreveport Mudbugs of the North American Hockey League.

“He’s been sniffing around the net for a while,” Hodge said. “I teased him before the game, I said: ‘Matty, you only have one goal since coming back.’ He showed me by scoring a goal.”

Utica responded less than a minute later when Franco scored his first of the day. Midway through the first period, Franco gave the Comets (8-8-4, 20 points) a 2-1 lead.

Robertsson beat Comets goalie Waylon Esche in the first minute of the third period, tying the game at 2-2. Cole and Nolan Leonard provided the assists.

Niko Benjamin scored the eventual game-winning goal in the middle of the third period, beating Thunder goalie Christopher Jackson for a 3-2 lead.

Vladislav Pschenichnikov put the contest out of reach with a shorthanded goal with a little over four minutes remaining.

“Like I said, give them credit; they are a hard-working team and they skate hard,” Hodge said. “They made a nice play behind our (defense), (Pschenichnikov) knocked (the puck) out of the air and he was in alone. It was a good play on their part — a set play obviously.”

The Thunder were 0-for-3 on the power play and the Comets were 0-for-5.

Twin City returns to the ice Saturday, Dec. 3, in Hudson to face the Northern Cyclones.

“It’s a situation where we need a reset, get refocused,” Hodge said. “We made sure to reiterate to the players, when we come back, be ready to go because with a big layoff, it’s almost like a re-tryout for opportunities when we get back.”

THUNDER ADD SEALEY IN TRADE WITH JERSEY HITMEN

Twin City recently acquired defenseman Cody Sealey from the Jersey Hitmen in a trade for forward Hunter Young.

Sealey, 20, had five assists in 15 games with the Hitmen this season.

“I felt like we needed an older defenseman who has played in the league,” Hodge said. “Cody has played with South Shore (Kings, from 2020 to 2021) and played with the Hitmen last year. I felt like we needed to address that kind of veteran player and a kid who has played in the league.”

The Worcester, Massachusetts, native is committed to SUNY-Geneseo, an NCAA Division III program that went to the Frozen Four last year. The Knights defeated the University of New England in the semifinals before losing to Adrian College in the national championship game.

Young totaled three goals and eight assists in 13 games for the Thunder after starting the year with the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks of the NAHL. Since joining the Hitmen on Saturday, he has recorded one assist in three games.