Carolina Rolls Thunder on Veterans Night

WINSTON-SALEM, NC

On a special Veterans Night in Winston-Salem, two fan favorites made their return, another made his debut and the team rolled all over the Delaware Thunder by a 7-3 final score.

Delaware jumped out to an early lead, but after constant pressure on Thunder goaltender Michael McHale, Jacob Schnapp finally got one past him to tie the game. Less than two minutes later, the Thunderbirds struck again after Lucas Rowe finished off a beautiful saucer pass from Justin Pringle. 

Delaware responded with the first goal of the second, but the Thunderbirds were unfazed and sustained their assault on McHale's crease in the second period. Gus Ford scored his first of two on the night on a wrist shot from the slot. Not to be outdone, Dawson Baker followed with a top shelf one-time shot just six seconds into a Carolina power play.

The Thunderbirds remained on the gas in the third, with Schnapp adding his second tally just over two minutes into the final frame. Ford notched another before Petr Panacek scored in his return to the Thunderbirds on a patented one-timer from the slot. 

Carolina's relentless attack notched 54 shots on goal, seven of them finding the back of the net. Boris Babik notched his third win of 2022, stopping 17 of the 20 shots he faced including a spectacular sprawling glove save in the second period on a shorthanded scoring chance by Delaware's Kyle Hetizner.

The Thunderbirds finish the back end of this home-and-home series Saturday night in Delaware.