Admirals Drop Weekend Finale to South Carolina
February 1, 2025 - ECHL (ECHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release
Norfolk, VA - After achieving their first shutout victory of the season, the Norfolk Admirals faced the South Carolina Stingrays once again over the weekend. In a competitive match characterized by a back-and-forth dynamic, the Stingrays ultimately secured a 4-3 victory, as Norfolk's late comeback effort fell short.
Thomas Milic made his third consecutive appearance in goal and registered 25 saves off of 29 shots faced in the Admirals' loss.
During the initial five minutes of the opening period, a competitive power struggle ensued in the neutral zone as the Admirals and the Stingrays vied for advantage in their forechecking efforts. Eight minutes into the contest, the Stingrays took the lead with the first goal, scored by Charlie Combs following a breakaway.
The Admirals experienced difficulty establishing a consistent rhythm in the offensive zone, as the solitary goal from the visitors proved to be the defining factor of the period. As tensions escalated toward the conclusion of the first period, South Carolina maintained a 1-0 advantage after twenty minutes of play, having outshot Norfolk by a margin of 10 to 5.
This 1-0 lead persisted until the latter portion of the second period when the Stingrays extended their advantage. Josh Wilkins converted a loose puck by maneuvering it through the five-hole of Milic, causing a decline in energy within the Scope as the visitors gained momentum.
However, the Admirals regained a measure of momentum with a power play goal from Sean Montgomery, executed from the left-wing circle, which narrowed the margin to 2-1. This goal marked the twelfth of his season. Although the Admirals had an additional power play opportunity to possibly equalize, they were unable to capitalize, resulting in the score remaining unchanged after forty minutes.
Early in the third period, the Admirals squandered three high-quality opportunities to tie the game at two, but to no avail. Nevertheless, Norfolk soon found the equalizer, achieved by Brady Fleurent, who successfully tapped in a pass from Denis Smirnov, marking Fleurent's twentieth goal of the season.
With eight minutes remaining in the contest, the Stingrays regained the lead when Erik Middendorf executed a one-timer, bringing the score to 3-2. Less than three minutes later, the Admirals conceded another goal near the net, as Ryan Hofer scored, extending the lead to 4-2. The score remained unchanged for the remainder of the match, resulting in the Admirals splitting the weekend series with the Stingrays.
Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game
1. SC - E. Middendorf (1 goals, 1 assist, +1)
2. SC - A. Perrott (2 assists, +1)
3. NOR - S. Montgomery (1 goal)
What's Next
Norfolk will pack its bags for the next four games for another road trip with a pair of contests against Reading and Maine. The trip begins on Tuesday morning when the Admirals take the ice against the Royals as puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 A.M.
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