Norfolk, VA.- Grant Besse scored in the second period to unleash a barrage of teddy bears, but Orlando topped the Admirals 7-2 on Saturday night.
Tommy Schutt scored his second shorthanded goal of the season midway late in the second period, tying him for second among all ECHL skaters.
Just like the Admirals did on Friday, the Solar Bears jumped out to a fast start on Saturday night. Only 0:16 into regulation Orlando was able to gather in the rebound of the opening shot and tuck the puck past Ty Reichenbach giving Orlando a 1-0 lead. Seven minutes later the lead doubled when Kristian Pospisil redirected JC Campagna’s shot past Reichenbach to give Orlando a 2-0 lead. Just over a minute later Max Novak wristed his tenth goal of the season past Reichenbach, ending the netminder’s night. Reichenbach finished the night allowing three goals on ten shots. Norfolk trailed 3-0 after the first.
The teams traded goals in the second period with Norfolk finally getting on the board late in the period. Trailing 4-0 Grant Besse unleashed the falling Teddy Bears at 15:06 of the middle frame. Norfolk won a faceoff back to the point where Don Olivieri tapped a pass over to Besse who connected on a spinning slap shot that beat Cal Heeter, cutting the lead to three. After forty minutes of play the Admirals were still trailing by a three-goal deficit.
Norfolk got a quick start to the third cutting the lead to two goals just 1:28 into the period. Jordan Abt set Tommy Schutt up on a shorthanded break-away. Schutt quickly pulled the puck onto his backhand before tucking it five-hole on Heeter. The goal was Schutt’s second shorthanded goal of the season. Schutt’s tally would be the last one that the Admirals mustered. Orlando rounded out the scoring with a trio of goals, pushing the score to 7-2. Norfolk finished the night with a season-high 43 shots on goal in the loss.
The Admirals and Solar Bears will face off three more times next week on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings in Orlando.
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