KEELEY: MARINERS BLANK THUNDER TO RECLAIM FOURTH PLACE
LaCouvee earns second consecutive shutout, making 30 saves
BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners
GLENS FALLS, NY – January 29, 2020 – Connor LaCouvee made 30 saves, earning his second consecutive shutout on Wednesday night at the Cool Insuring Arena, as the Mariners used a trio of goals to defeat the Adirondack Thunder in the first of a three-game series this week. The Mariners moved back into fourth place in the North Division with the win, and also ended a four-game Thunder win streak.
Less than three minutes into the game, Mariners Captain Zach Tolkinen dropped the gloves with Adirondack’s James Phelan and got the better of the Thunder forward, injecting some energy into the Mariners offense. On the power play at 8:35, Morgan Adams-Moisan threw the puck off the back of the Adirondack net, causing it to spin weirdly right to the doorstep of the far post, where Ted Hart tapped it in past an unsuspecting Eamon McAdam. Michael McNicholas picked up a secondary helper on the goal. At 15:52, Adams-Moisan gathered a loose puck from outside the Adirondack blue line, skated in alone and beat McAdam’s glove to make it a 2-0 game, Brian Hart assisting. The Mariners were outshot 9-5 in the first.
After a scoreless second period, Sean Day stretched the lead to 3-0 less than a minute into the third. Greg Chase fed Day near the right point, who made a stickhandle to free himself down to the circle, where he beat McAdam stick side thanks in part to a screen set up by Alex Kile. McNicholas picked up his second assist of the game on the insurance goal. From there, LaCouvee made several timely saves, with help from his defense, including holding off three-plus minutes of 6-on-4 when Adirondack pulled McAdam. The Maine penalty kill also went 3/3.
LaCouvee’s 30 save shutout was his third of the season, and second in a row (both on the road) after he blanked Brampton on January 19th. McAdam turned aside 16 shots in the loss.
The Mariners will be in Glens Falls again on Friday night for another 7 PM faceoff. Both teams will then head to Portland to play at the Cross Insurance Arena on Saturday at 6 PM. It’s Make-A-Wish Maine night presented by Agren. The Mariners will wear jerseys designed by 11-year-old ‘Wish Kid’ Ellie Labree, who won a jersey design contest this past fall. The full set of jerseys are currently up for auction on the Handbid App, with proceeds to benefit Make-A-Wish Maine. Auctions will close at the start of the third period of Saturday’s game.
All Saturday and Sunday home games feature the Family Four Pack – four tickets, four food and drink vouchers, and four Mariners beverage koozies, starting at $80. Groups of 10 or more can get discounted tickets to all games by calling 833-GO-MAINE. Individual tickets can be purchased at MarinersOfMaine.com, at the Trusted Choice Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena, or by calling 207-775-3458.
