Game Day: Road Trip Wraps Up in South Carolina

Charleston, SC – The Norfolk Admirals, proud member of the ECHL, wrap up a five-game road trip on Tuesday evening in Charleston.

Game #44

Admirals (16-21-5-1) at Stingrays (27-10-4-1)

North Charleston Coliseum

7:05 pm

Last Time Out:

South Carolina scored the final three goals of the game on Sunday afternoon as the Admirals fell 3-1 to the Stingrays. The first of two games against South Carolina on Sunday, was the third in three days for the Admirals.

Darik Angeli got the Admirals on the board in the first period, however the forwards 15th goal of the season was the only shot Norfolk would get past Adam Carlson. The Stingrays scored a pair of goals in the second period to take a 2-1 lead after the second intermission. In the third period Marcus Perrier picked up the insurance goal for South Carolina, scoring just 0:15 into  the final frame of regulation. Carlson, the South Carolina netminder stopped 25 of 26 shots in the game for the Stingrays. Ty Reichenbach getting the start for the Admirals made 44 saves on 47 shots.

Both teams finished the afternoon scoreless in a combined seven chances on the man-advantage.

Scouting the Rays:

South Carolina currently holds the second spot in the South Division, and second position in the Eastern Conference as well.

Currently riding a three-game win-streak, the Stingrays are allowing fewer goals than any other ECHL team this season.  The Stingrays 2.31 goals against per game is 0.17 goals better than the second-place team (Toledo). South Carolina’s offense is scoring just over three goals a game this season. Kelly Zajac (13g, 20a) and Joe Devin (12g, 21a) lead the South Carolina offense with 33 points each this season. Former Admiral Steven Whitney ranks third on the team with 30 points (13g, 17a).

South Carolina’s goaltending trio of Parker Milner, Jeff Jakaitis, and Adam Carlson have all seen time between the pipes for the Stingrays. All three goaltenders have posted goals against averages under 2.50. Milner leads the trio in wins (13) and games played (19).

Head-to-Head:

South Carolina has won three of the first six matchups this season. Three of those six games however have gone past regulation and been decided in the three-on-three overtime. Since rejoining the ECHL, South Carolina has controlled the series at North Charleston Coliseum winning five of six meetings.

Grant Besse and Kelly Zajac lead their teams with eight points each through the six-game set. Tim McGauley and Steven Whitney have each notched seven points for the Stingrays. Norfolk’s Thomas Frazee is averaging a point per game against the Rays with three goals and three assists. Patrick D’Amico and Alex Pompeo (2g each) are the only other Admirals with multiple goals against the Stingrays this season.

Heading Home:

Tuesday’s game will conclude the second five-game road trip for the month of January for the Admirals. It will also be the last road game the Admirals play until February 20 when the team returns to North Charleston to face the Stingrays for the final time. During the month of January the Admirals played 10 of 13 games away from home, while in February the script will flip.

Norfolk plays a total of 13 games during February with the first nine all coming at the Scope. The nine-game home stand is the Admirals longest of the season.

Finding Points In All the Places:

The line of Patrick D’Amico-Thomas Frazee-Darik Angeli has consistently been creeping up the Admirals scoring leaders in the last five games. All three forwards have tallied points in every game except the shutout loss to Atlanta, and have notched at least one multi-point game during that span. Angeli, third on the team in scoring, has 31 points on the season with Frazee (9g, 21a) has 30 points and is one point behind the forementioned linemate. D’Amico, sitting in fifth, has 22 points (10g, 12a) this season. The forward has notched eight points in his last five games.

Norfolk’s Brodie Dupont currently ranks eighth in the ECHL in points with 44 points (14g, 30a), five points back from the league leader.