Admirals Win Comeback Thriller In OT, Defeat Royals 4-3

READING, PA - The Norfolk Admirals, proud ECHL affiliates of the Carolina Hurricanes, defeated the Reading Royals 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday night to pick up their fifth straight win. 

Reading struck first in this one, scoring just 56 seconds into the game on a Jacob Pritchard goal. The Royals would double their lead 10 minutes later on a Patrick Bajkov goal with 8:15 remaining in the first period. Bajkov. who now has six goals on the season, has scored five of those goals against the Admirals.

Alex Tonge made his return to the lineup after missing the last four due to an injury. He that would cut into the Royals' lead, scoring on an even-strength goal just five minutes into the second period. 

Reading would score again just three minutes later on a Dominic Cormier goal to stretch their lead back to two goals going into the final period, leading 3-1.

The Admirals opened up the third period with intensity and drive, cutting Reading's lead back to one from a Blake Murray goal with 13:41 remaining in the game. With 10:43 remaining, Norfolk tied the game on a Sam Thibault goal, assisted by forwards Noah Corson and Blake Murray. The goal marked Thibault's first with the Admirals since he was acquired in November 2019.

The game would remain even at three for the rest of regulation, despite multiple scoring opportunities from both teams. 

With the game tied at the end of regulation, the two teams would head to seven-minute overtime. Just 17 seconds into overtime, Chase Lang would rifle a shot from the right side of the ice, slipping past the pads of Royals goaltender Pat Nagle to win the game for Norfolk. 

Goaltender Dylan Wells came up huge for the Admirals, with multiple key saves keeping the game tied at three. 

With the victory, the Admirals have now won five games in a row, their longest winning streak dating back to the 2018-2019 season, when they won four games in a row. Of the eight games the Admirals have played so far this season, four of them have gone to overtime, with Norfolk winning all of them. The Admirals are back in action on Friday when they play the Royals for the second of three games in this road trip.