Game Day: Norfolk Looks for Fourth Straight, Hosting Jacksonville

Game #30

Admirals (11-17-1-0) vs Icemen (7-15-3-2)

Scope Arena

7:00 pm

Last Time Out:

Darik Angeli played hero against his former team as the Admirals topped the Solar Bears in a shootout claiming their third straight victory, and fourth in the last five games. Norfolk scored the first two goals of the night, but Orlando answered back with a pair of their own to tie the game at 2-2 midway through the second period. Saturday was the fifth time in the last six games that the Admirals power play had managed to find the back of the net. Ty Reichenbach, making his seventh consecutive start, made 45 saves and five more saves in the shootout. Darik Angeli, shooting in the fifth round of the shootout, was the only skater on either side to score, giving the Admirals the 3-2 victory.

Head to Head:

Friday night is the third meeting of the season between the Admirals and Icemen. Norfolk won each of the first two meetings nearly a month ago. The Admirals completed a five-goal comeback in the second game of the weekend to top the Icemen 7-6 in a shootout and complete the weekend sweep.

Darik Angeli leads all skaters in the series with five points (2g, 3a) while captain Brodie Dupont is second with four points (2g, 2a). Overall eight different Admirals found the back of the net against the Icemen in the two-game set. Jacksonville’s Elgin Pearce leads all skaters in the series with three goals, but defenseman Scott Savage (2g, 2a) leads the Icemen against Norfolk with four points.

Both Jamie Murray and Ty Reichenbach appeared in the two game set, with Murray starting both nights. In the Saturday game, Reichenbach claimed the victory in relief. Jacksonville’s Colton Phinney started both games, pushing the Admirals past regulation each night.

ECHL Goaltender of the Week:

Norfolk’s Ty Reichenbach was named the ECHL Goaltender of the Week on Wednesday morning. Reichenbach, who started all three games, posted a 3-0-0-0 record along with a 1.63 goals against average, and a .961 save percentage in the three victories. On Thursday night Reichenbach turned aside all 45 shots he faced, on his way to the netminder’s first professional shutout. Total over last weeks’ three games Reichenbach stopped 124 of 129 shots he faced.

The Billings, MT native has appeared in 16 games for the Admirals this season posting a record of 7-8-0-0. Reichenbach has a 3.30 goals against average to go along with a .915 save percentage this season.

Reichenbach is the first Admirals netminder since Brandon Anderson (Jan. 9-15) won the award last season.

Rookie Leader:

Grant Besse has shot back up the rookie scoring leaderboards after netting seven points (3g, 4a) in three games in Orlando. The Plymouth, MN native is currently second among all ECHL rookies in scoring with 27 points (13g, 14a). Besse currently leads all Admirals, and is one point ahead of captain Brodie Dupont. The forward is also the only Admiral to have scored double digit goals this season. Dupont and Darik Angeli have each scored nine goals.

Teammates Reunited:

When the Admirals signed forward Christian Horn on Dec. 23 the newcomer was reunited with his former high school teammate Grant Besse. The Plymouth, MN natives were teammates at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School from 2009-2012. In their final season together the forwards helped the Red Knights play their way into the Minnesota State Tournament. Prior to Saturday’s game in Orlando, the last time the two had played competitively on the same team was when they won the 2012 AA Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament.

On their first shift together as Admirals Besse assisted on Horn’s first goal as an Admiral. It came on Horn first shot with the team.

Besse and Horn still rank one and two in career scoring for the Red Knights. The two forwards combined for 479 points during their high school careers.

Admirals to the AHL:

Grant Besse became the second Admiral to sign a PTO (Professional Tryout) with an AHL team this morning when he signed with the Tucson Road Runners. Besse, who leads the Admirals in points, joins TJ Melancon (Belleville) in the AHL.

A native of Plymouth, MN, Besse has tallied 27 points (13g, 14a) in 28 games with the Admirals this season. The forward will join the Roadrunners for the Roadrunners game tonight against Bakersfield.