Horn's Heroics Send Admirals to 5-4 OT Victory

Norfolk, VA.— Christian Horn played overtime hero and TJ Melancon scored twice for the second straight night as the Admirals topped the Icemen 5-4 in overtime on Monday afternoon.

Melancon netted his third multi-goal game of the season. Brodie Dupont and Sam Ftorek each netted a pair of assists in the victory. Norfolk finished the night two-for-seven on the man-advantage.

In the first period the teams combined for five goals. Jacksonville got the scoring started just over five minutes into the period. Garet Hunt collected a rebound in front of the net and tapped it past Reichenbach to give the Icemen a 1-0 lead. Shortly after the Icemen took the lead the Admirals knotted the game back up. Grant Besse took a cross-ice pass from Domenic Alberga at the right circle and wristed a shot from point-blank range past Colton Phinney to tie the game. Just over a minute later however the Icemen retook the lead. Cameron Critchlow took capitalized on a loose puck in front of the net for his 11th goal of the season, and a 2-0 lead for Jacksonville. Norfolk answered back with a pair of goals to take a lead into the first intermission. Sam Ftorek,  sitting on the left post, took a pair of shots that were both blocked by Phinney before the rebound bounced out to Alex Pompeo, who tapped the puck into the nearly empty net. Less than two minutes later Norfolk took its first lead of the night. On their second man-advantage of the night Norfolk took their first lead. TJ Melancon let a one-timer from the left circle fly, giving the defenseman his second power play goal in as many games, and the Admirals a 3-2 lead.

Jacksonville drew the game even once again in the second period as Cody Fowlie netted his first of the season at the 8:54 mark. The Icemen tally ended up being the only goal of the second, tying the game at 3-3 after the second.

Jacksonville retook a one goal lead at 7:28 of the third when Everett Clark walked around the defense and tucked the puck past Reichenbach to give Jacksonville a 4-3 lead. The lead would last less than a minute. After Darik Angeli’s wrap-around attempt was foiled, Michael Young sent a pass cross-ice to TJ Melancon who wristed the shot into the upper corner, tying the game at 4-4. The goal was Melancon’s second of the night, giving the defenseman two straight-two-goal games. Neither team was able to break the deadlock in the final frame as Norfolk and Jacksonville headed to overtime for the fifth time in six matchups.

After Jacksonville captain Garet Hunt took a roughing minor at the end of regulation the Admirals began the overtime on the man-advantage and capitalized. Perched on the right circle Brodie Dupont gathered in the rebound of his own slap shot after it was blocked by the Jacksonville defender, and sent a cross-ice pass to Christian Horn. Horn wasted no time shooting the puck past a sprawling Phinney, giving the Admirals the 5-4 overtime victory.

Ty Reichenbach made 30 saves on 34 shots in the victory, while Phinney stopped 32 of 37 in the overtime loss.

The victory moved the Admirals to 21-26-5-1 on the season. Norfolk now sits four points back from the Solar Bears who own the final playoff spot in the South Division.

Norfolk is back in action tomorrow night as the Admirals take on the South Carolina Stingrays.