Game Day: Three-in-Three Concludes in Manchester

Game #24

Admirals (7-15-1-0) at Monarchs (14-7-1-1)

SNHU Arena

3:00 pm

Last Time Out:

Norfolk opened the scoring but four consecutive goals from the Thunder proved to be the difference as Adirondack topped the Admirals 4-2 on Saturday night.  Norfolk trailed 4-1 late into the game before Brodie Dupont netted his seventh of the year with just 0:50 remaining in regulation. For the second straight night the Admirals were held scoreless on the power play going 0-for-2. Adirondack scored once on three attempts finishing 1-for-3.  The victory was the Thunders second this season against the Admirals.

Head to Head:

Sunday’s matchup is the fifth of the season between the Admirals and Monarchs. Manchester has won three of the first four, but skated away with at least a point in all four games.

Defenseman Michael Young leads all Admirals against the Monarchs with four points (1g, 3a) in three games. Tommy Schutt is the only other active player who has more than one point against Manchester this season. TJ Melancon, Kenton Helgesen, and Grant Besse have all also scored against Manchester this season.

Manchester’s Sam Kurker, who scored twice on Friday, leads the Monarchs with six points (3g, 3a). Five other Monarchs have scored multiple goals against the Admirals this season. Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman and Matt Marcinew lead that group with three goals.

Shorthanded Tallies:

Domenic Alberga’s first period short-handed goal last night was the Admirals third short-handed tally of the season. Both the Admirals and Monarchs have scored three goals while down a man this season, joined by a handful of other teams. Tulsa leads all ECHL teams with seven short-handed goals this season. Alberga’s goal marked the first time this season though that the Admirals had scored short-handed away from Scope Arena. Both of Norfolk’s previous short-handed goals had come at home.

First Point:

Michael Pontarelli picked up an assist on Brodie Dupont’s third period goal giving the forward his first point of the season, and first since April 4 when he recorded a goal and two assists for the Admirals against the Reading Royals. Pontarelli, who rejoined the Admirals after starting the season with Quad City, averaged a point per game with Norfolk last year after finishing his college career at Union College. In his first full professional season the forward has six points (2g, 4a) in 18 games.

Sneaking Up on 50:

Both defenseman Tim Daly and forward Patrick D’Amico are inching towards their 50th career professional points. Daly, who attended St. Cloud State, has notched 48 points over the course of 107 games as a professional. D’Amico, in his third full season as a pro has notched 47 points (24g, 23a) in 125 games, including four points in ten games with Norfolk since being acquired.

Upcoming:

The Admirals return home for a pair of games, including Teddy Toss night on Dec. 16, against the Orlando Solar Bears. The two home games will be the first of five straight against Orlando heading into the holiday break.