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ECHL Norfolk Admirals

Four Second-Period Goals Propel Admirals to Second Straight Win

January 3, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


WHEELING, W.V. - The Norfolk Admirals scored four goals in the second period for their second consecutive win in a 5-3 victory over the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday afternoon at WesBanco Arena.

The Admirals jumped all over the Nailers in the first shift by finding the back of the net just 26 seconds into the game. Steven Whitney swatted a loose puck on a second effort past Wheeling goalie Franky Palazzese for the first goal of the afternoon.

Wheeling responded in a big way late in the period with two goals from Anton Zlobin in a little over a minute. A puck bounced around among several bodies in front of Admirals netminder Ty Rimmer, and Zlobin put a stick on it to push it across the goal line behind Rimmer at 16:54. Just 1:16 later, Zlobin struck again on the rush from the left side when he tucked a wrister inside the far post, giving the Nailers a 2-1 advantage.

Norfolk got on the board early in the period again when Nick MacNeil broke up a play at the Wheeling blue line and tipped it along to Michael Pelech. Jonathan Lessard flanked Pelech on the right side in the slot, received Pelech's feed, and went around Palazzese to his forehand before sliding the puck into an empty net behind the Nailers' goaltender. Lessard's eighth goal of the season came 58 seconds into the middle frame and it was 2-2.

Devin Mantha recorded his first goal as an Admiral near the midway point of the second. Tommy Mele laid a puck off for Mantha above the right circle, who ripped a shot over the glove hand of Palazzese at 9:40. Mantha's first marker as an Admiral and Mele's second assist of the afternoon made it 3-2 Norfolk. The lead doubled to 4-2 a minute and 28 seconds later with Lessard's second goal of the game in transition. He drifted inside toward the middle of the ice and pulled up from 15 feet before lifting a goal into the top shelf at 11:08 of the second.

The lead ballooned to 5-2 five minutes later on great vision from Whitney whose shot pass went backdoor for Scott Allen at 16:12 on the power play. The three-goal lead was short-lived as less than a minute later Matia Marcantuoni's turning shot from the middle of Norfolk territory cut the Admirals' lead to 5-3 at 17:07.

Surprisingly, neither side tallied in the final 20 minutes, and Norfolk won 5-3 for its second consecutive win. The Admirals scored once on three power plays, and held the Nailers scoreless on a trio of man advantages. Ty Rimmer earned his eighth win of the season and fourth in a row by saving 23 of 26 Wheeling shots. Franky Palazzese turned in 33 saves on 38 Admirals attempts for Wheeling.

Norfolk will try and extend its win streak to three games on Wednesday at home versus Orlando.

Three Stars of the Game:

1. NOR - 91 Lessard

2. WHL - 17 Zlobin

3. NOR - 21 Whitney

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