Carolina Sweeps Blue Ridge, Win Game Two, 4-1

Winston-Salem, NC – Behind four 1^st period goals, the Carolina Thunderbirds flew past the Blue Ridge Bobcats, 4-1, in Game Two of the Commissioners Cup Quarterfinals to sweep Blue Ridge in two games.

After putting up three goals in the 1^st period on Friday night in Game One, Carolina jumped out quickly in the 1^st. Nate Keeley slotted home a shot from the goal line just 94 seconds into the 1^st period, putting the Thunderbirds ahead, 1-0. Just over the midway mark in the frame, Jon Buttitta found a breakaway and beat Blue Ridge netminder, Greg Hussey, on the back hand to double the Thunderbirds lead.

Coming out of the final media timeout in the 1^st period, Jordan Gagnon jammed home his first playoff goal putting the Thunderbirds ahead by three, and 18 seconds later, Petr Panacek wired home his second goal in as many nights to give Carolina a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes.

In the 2^nd, Blue Ridge scored on the power play to cut the Carolina lead to three, but Thunderbirds goalie Boris Babik was terrific all night, only allowing the lone goal. Babik saved 13 shots in the 1^st period, 14 in the 2^nd, and all 16 he saw in the 3^rd to finish off a 43 save performance and help send the Thunderbirds to the Continental Division Final for the third straight year in the 4-1 win.

The sweep for Carolina is its first sweep of a series since the 2023 Commissioners Cup Quarterfinals when the Thunderbirds swept the Port Huron Prowlers.

The Thunderbirds now move on to the Continental Division final for the third straight season and will see the Columbus River Dragons again. Game One is set for Wednesday in Columbus, Georgia. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. from the Columbus Civic Center on Wednesday night.