SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Springfield Thunderbirds (8-9-1-0) could not withstand the pressure of the surging Utica Comets (4-10-1-2), falling by a final of 3-2 on Black Friday afternoon inside the MassMutual Center. 

Vadim Zherenko would be the busiest man in an opening period that saw the Comets outshoot the T-Birds to the tune of 13-6 discrepancy. 

The game continued to be dominated by solid netminding, and both Zherenko and Isaac Poulter were perfect as the game got deep into the middle stanza. Dalibor Dvorsky finally broke the deadlock at 15:15 when Poulter could not squeeze a Hugh McGing flip-in from the neutral zone. Dvorsky arrived right where Poulter dropped the loose change, and the rookie hammered it into a yawning net to give Springfield a 1-0 lead, the fourth straight game in which the T-Birds scored first. 

That 1-0 lead would only last for 65 seconds. Utica went right to work in the T-Birds zone, and after Springfield failed to clear the defensive end on two occasions, Simon Nemec slipped a pass to Sam Laberge in the left-wing circle, and the rugged winger beat Zherenko high on the short side to tie the game at 16:20.

The 1-1 score carried into the start of the third period, but just 16 seconds into the final period, Nolan Foote put Utica on top with a spinning forehand shot that squeezed through Zherenko's legs and put the Comets ahead for the first time.

With a chance to extend the advantage on a power play 5:28 later, Seamus Casey fielded a T-Birds' clearing attempt and wristed a shot over a screened Zherenko to push the lead to 3-1.

The Comets blanketed the T-Birds throughout the final period, holding the Springfield offense to just seven shots in the frame and 23 for the game's duration. Drew Callin got the T-Birds on the board in a 6-on-5 situation with just 28 seconds remaining when he deflected a Dylan Peterson slapper, but that would not be enough. Poulter earned the victory with 21 saves, and the T-Birds saw their five-game point streak end. 

The T-Birds look to get back in the win column in the fourth battle of the Mercy Medical Center I-91 Rivalry on Saturday against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Puck drop for Hockey Fights Cancer Night is set for 4:05 p.m. at the Thunderdome.

Interested 2024-25 season ticket members can call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn how to become a regular at the Thunderdome.