Thunder lose nailbiters to fall behind 3-1 in playoffs

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The puck wouldn’t bounce the Thunder’s way as the team lost two games that came down to the wire to trail Erin 3-1 in the best-of-seven playoffs.

The Thunder went into last weekend with the series against the Erin Outlaws tied at one game each.

Hosting Erin on Friday night, the visitors drew first blood with a goal early in the first period. The Thunder rallied and took a commanding 3-1 lead by period’s end. Danny Attridge netted the first, from Nicolas D’Agostino, on a five-on-three power play with 6:15 left. On the same power play, Kane Johnson pulled the Thunder ahead with the feed from Tye Johnson. Andrew Oosterveld provided insurance with just over three minutes left on the clock. Robert MacLean and Justin Abraham assisted.

The Outlaws owned the second period, scoring three goals to pull in front.

The law breakers added another in the third before Oosterveld hit the mesh, converting passes from MacLean and D’Agostino. Erin added another before MacLean brought the Thunder within one (Kurtis Heggie assist) to fall 6-5

On the road on Saturday, Attridge put the Thunder on the scoreboard unassisted less than three minutes into the period to put Tillsonburg in front. However, Erin netted two before period’s end to take the advantage.

Attridge again came through for the Thunder in the second to tie the game, with assistance from Luke Sinclair and Jaden VanSevenant. In a repeat performance, the Outlaws scored the go-ahead late in the second.

Matthew Oosterveld, from MacLean, tied the game early in a third period that saw three goals in the first six minutes. Sinclair and Monkhouse fed Attridge for the hat trick and go-ahead goal at 16:40 of the third. The advantage was to be short-lived as Erin evened the score less than two minutes later. Visions of an overtime win were crushed for the Thunder when Erin scored on a power play with 1:36 left in the game.

The Thunder are on the road on Saturday for a game in Erin, and then hopefully play game six Sunday in Tillsonburg.