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ECHL Norfolk Admirals

Third Period Costly as Royals Double up Admirals

December 16, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


NORFOLK, Va. - Three goals in the third period were enough for the Reading Royals to top the Norfolk Admirals Wednesday night at Scope Arena, 6-3.

Reading was the first to light the lamp at 12:35 in the opening frame with a slap shot from the middle of the left circle by Robbie Czarnik. The Admirals responded at 15:42 with a tally from Alexander Ranger. After a tie up in the corner, Radaslov Illo fed the puck out to the front of Reading's goal, where Ranger shoved it in, evening up the score 1-1.

Two minutes later, the Royals fired back with their second mark on the board at 17:59 when Cam Reid scored after receiving a pass on the rush from Yannick Tifu, to regain the lead, 2-1, at the conclusion of the first period.

The Royals managed to gain a two-goal advantage at 4:02 in the second when Mike Pereira shot from the left circle that hit the post, then bounced off Courchaine's left leg and found the back of the net. Norfolk had a response yet again. Michael Pelech collected a rebound off the pad of Reading goaltender Connor Knapp and centered a pass to Illo at the doorstep. Illo's quick trigger lit the lamp at 6:19 in the second.

Steven Whitney logged the equalizer with help from Scott Allen at 9:26 in the middle frame. Norfolk defenseman Sam Noreau's blast from the left point hit Allen in the chest, and Whitney cleaned up the mess to tie the game at 3-3.

Tensions boiled over on the ensuing faceoff at center ice as Admirals defensemen Gabriel Verpaelst and Reading forward Derek Mathers dropped the gloves. Officials stepped in but Mathers continued to jaw at Noreau, sparking a line brawl that resulted in 54 combined penalty minutes at the 9:27 mark of the second period. The deadlock remained through the rest of the second and into the third.

The Royals' Scott Tanski grabbed a loose puck behind Norfolk's net and moved it to Ian Watters at the left post. Watters' one-timer squeezed between the iron and Admirals goaltender Adam Courchaine to put Reading up 4-3 at 3:30 of the third period.

Things opened up for Reading when Reid nabbed his second goal of the night at 10:46, widening the gap to 5-3  with less than 10 minutes to play. Czarnik planted an empty-netter at 18:42, and the Royals earned a 6-3 win over Norfolk.

Courchaine saved 31 out of Reading's 36 attempts, while Knapp stopped 24 of Norfolk's 27 shots on net. The Admirals went scoreless on their one power-play opportunity, and the Royals went 0-for-2.

The Admirals will host Adirondack Friday night for the first of two back-to-back matchups at Scope Arena this weekend.

Three Stars of the Game:

1. REA - 28 Reid

2. REA - 14 Pereira

3. NOR - 24 Illo

Check out the Norfolk Admirals Statistics

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