Norfolk, VA – Christian Horn scored his first professional hat trick, and provided all the offense the Admirals needed, as Norfolk topped Wheeling 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday night.
It was the second straight game in which an Admiral had scored a hat trick, giving Norfolk four hat tricks on the season. Horn became the second player in the ECHL this season to provide all three goals as his team won, joining Norfolk’s Trevor Mingoia. Captain Brodie Dupont added two assists, for his third straight multi-point game.
For the seventh time in the last eight games the Norfolk power play got on the board. Don Olivieri, parked below the goal line on the left side, fed a pass to Christian Horn in the slot. Horn took the pass before wristing the puck past the Wheeling netminder to give Norfolk the 1-0 lead at 8:36 of the first.
In the second period it took the Nailers only 0:21 to even the score up. Crashing the net, Kevin Schulze tipped home a pass Troy Josephs that beat Ty Reichenbach over the shoulder tying the game at 1-1. Two and a half minutes later the Nailers took the lead for the first time. A long stretch pass from deep in the Wheeling zone broke Riley Bourbonnais free on a break-away. Bourbonnais beat Reichenbach low to blocker side, giving Wheeling a 2-1 lead.
In the third period Horn would strike again for his second of the night. Just 0:38 into the final period of regulation. A rebound right in front of the net found it’s way to Horn’s stick and the forward sent the puck to the back of the net, tying the game at 2-2. Ty Reichenbach and Colin Stevens combined for 23 saves in the third period, keeping both teams deadlocked at 2-2.
In the overtime Horn capped off his hat trick a mere 0:22 into the extra period. Taking a pass from Brodie Dupont, Horn sent a backhand shot that beat Stevens, ending the game. The goal gave Horn his first professional hat trick, and the Admirals their fifth win in the last eight games.
Reichenbach made 44 saves in the victory.
Norfolk hits the road for five straight games, starting with a Sunday matinee in Greenville.
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