Game Day: Admirals Look to Make it Three Straight

Game #29

Admirals (10-17-1-0) vs Solar Bears (11-14-4-0)

Amway Center

7:00 pm

Last Time Out:

Ty Reichenbach stole the show stopping 43 shots en route to his first professional shut out as the Admirals blanked the Solar Bears 2-0. The start was Reichenbach’s sixth straight start, and third win in those six games.

Alex Pompeo scored his second goal of the season, and first game winner, midway through the second period on a five-on-three power play. Grant Besse added an empty net goal for the second straight game to cap off the scoring, giving the forward four goals in his last three games. Max Cook notched an assist, giving the forward points in three of his last four games and six points in nine games since joining the Admirals.

The Admirals power play finished the night one-for-eight, while holding the Solar Bears scoreless on six chances.

Head to Head:

Norfolk has won three of the first four games against the Solar Bears, including the last two games. The last two victories are the Admirals first two regulation victories coming at the Amway Center. After the Admirals and Solar Bears wrap up the five-game set on Saturday night the teams will only play twice more the rest of the season. Both those games will be at the Amway Center.

The back-to-back victories has helped the Admirals tie the all-time series with the Solar Bears with each team winning six of the twelve contests.

Norfolk’s Grant Besse leads all skaters in the series with six points (4g, 2a). A pair of Solar Bears are right behind Besse however with five points each. Josh Winquist (3g, 2a) and Max Novak (2g, 3a) pace the Solar Bears. Apart from Winquist and Novak only Darryl Bootland has multiple goals against the Admirals this season. Norfolk’s Patrick D’Amico (3g, 1a) and Brodie Dupont (2g, 1a) are the only Admirals with more than one goal in the season series.

In net Ty Reichenbach has started all four games for Norfolk allowing 2.55 goals per game, in addition to a .940 save percentage. Orlando’s Cal Heeter has started three of the four games allowing 2.70 goals per game while going 1-2-0-0 vs the Admirals.

Leading the Way:

Over the last two games, Norfolk’s Grant Besse has overtaken Brodie Dupont for the team lead in points. Besse (13g, 12a) leads the team with 25 points while Dupont (9g, 15a) is currently second with 24 points. Besse also leads the team in goals (13) in his rookie campaign. The Plymouth, MN native enters Saturday’s game on a three-game scoring streak.

The Wisconsin alum is also tied for second among all ECHL rookies in points and goals. Besse trails only Cincinnati’s Justin Danforth in points (33pts) and goals (16 g). The forward is also tied for second among rookies with four power play goals.

One More for the Road:

Saturday’s game wraps up the Admirals road games for December. Norfolk returns to the Scope on December 29 and 30 for only their third and fourth home games of the month. The Admirals will host the Jacksonville Icemen for the first time this season. Norfolk swept both ends of a two-game weekend in Jacksonville in late November and early December in the first meetings between the teams this season.