RECAP | Growlers End Admirals Winning Streak At Four

Norfolk, VA- The Norfolk Admirals returned to Norfolk Scope for the fourth contest of their series against the Newfoundland Growlers. Despite sweeping the weekend's first three games, the Admirals were defeated by the Growlers with a score of 7-4, owing to the latter's five power-play goals.

Yaniv Perets made his 17th appearance in the Admirals' cage. He managed to make 19 saves out of 26 shots.

At the start of the game, the Growlers were able to take an early lead. Norfolk found themselves in trouble with two minor penalties in the first half of the period. During these power plays, Newfoundland was able to capitalize on both occasions. Jackson Berezowski was the first to score, firing a shot into an open net that Perets was unable to block, giving him his 12th goal of the season. Zach O'Brien then scored the second goal on the second power play of the evening, as his shot snuck past Perets' shoulder from a tight angle, making it 2-0.

In the latter part of the period, Denis Smirnov found himself open in front of the net, and Stepan Timofeyev dished the puck to him. Smirnov, then, went to his backhand, scoring Norfolk's first goal of the night. The score would remain 2-1, as the Admirals had a late power play opportunity, but were unable to score. Norfolk had the advantage in shots on goal after 20 minutes, with 8-7.

Newfoundland's power play continued to dominate the game, scoring three times to take a commanding lead. The first goal came as Tate Singleton retrieved the puck behind the Admirals' net and deftly wrapped it around Perets to extend Newfoundland's lead to 3-1. A few minutes later, Singleton struck again, capitalizing on a turnover by Smirnov to break away and make it 4-1. The Growlers' lead was extended by another goal when Zach O'Brien scored off a rebound, making it a four-goal lead.

Despite Kamerin Nault's fourth goal of the year, which briefly sparked life into the Scope, the score remained 5-2 at the end of the second period, with the Admirals outshooting the Growlers 14-9 in the frame. Although Norfolk had a few chances to mount a comeback, Newfoundland's strong performance ensured that they remained in control.

During the initial half of the third period, the Growlers augmented their lead to 7-2 by scoring an additional power-play goal, followed by another goal at full strength. Singleton completed his hat-trick by shooting the puck past Perets. Berezowski scored his 13th goal of the season off the power play, thereby expanding their lead by five goals.

As the game advanced, the Admirals showed resilience by scoring two goals in the latter part of the game. Katic and Fleurent contributed goals which reduced the Growlers' lead. Although the Admirals' shots outnumbered those of Newfoundland by 43-26, the latter's five power-play goals proved insurmountable as the Growlers avoided a sweep and secured a 7-3 victory.

The Admirals still retain their second position in the ECHL North Division, despite their setback.

Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game

1. NFL - J. Berezowski (2 goals, 3 assist, +1)

      2. NFL - T. Singleton (3 goals)

      3. NFL - Z. O'Brien (2 goals, 2 assists, -1)

What’s Next

The Norfolk Admirals are set to embark on a weekend road trip, which includes a pair of games against the Worcester Railers in Massachusetts, followed by a match-up against the Adirondack Thunder. The first game of the trip is scheduled for Friday night, with the puck drop at 7:05 p.m.