RECAP | Admirals Sweep Weekend Series Against Stingrays

Norfolk, VA - The Norfolk Admirals had an impressive win last night and returned to the ice at Norfolk Scope for game two against the South Carolina Stingrays. Gehrett Sargis and Kamerin Nault scored goals on Saturday night as Norfolk managed to sweep the weekend against the Stingrays.

Oskari Salminen had a great performance in his Norfolk Scope debut. He made 19 saves out of 20 shots in the Admirals' victory and was the game's number-one star.

During the first period of the game, the Stingrays exhibited a superior forecheck in the first five minutes of the game in their quest to score an early goal. Fortunately, Salminen made a few commendable saves to kick off his participation in the game while the score remained at zero. With fourteen minutes left in the period, the Admirals came up with the first goal of the game. It was Gehrett Sargis who scored his third goal of the season with a one-timer, which was beautifully set up by Sean Montgomery.

After the goal, Mark Liwiski brought the Scope to life as he took on Garet Hunt in a fierce fight. The Admirals carried their 1-0 advantage into the break, having outshot South Carolina 9-6 in the opening 20 minutes.

When the game resumed for the second period, there was a faster pace of hockey, but fewer offensive chances. The first shot of the period did not occur until six and a half minutes in. As the period progressed, tensions began to rise.

After 40 minutes of play, South Carolina outshot Norfolk 9-5, and the score remained the same.

During the final twenty minutes of the game, the Admirals demonstrated a superior forecheck, controlling the neutral zone and putting up shots on Gibson attempting to extend their lead. At the midpoint of the period, Nault scored his eighth goal of the year from the slot, making it 2-0. 

Subsequently, South Carolina appeared to have narrowed the lead to one goal a few minutes later, but the goal was reviewed and ultimately deemed a 'no-goal' as Salminen maintained his shutout. With less than a minute to play, the Stingrays finally scored as Ivan Lodnia netted his fifth goal of the year, bringing the score to 2-1 with just twenty seconds left in the game.

Ultimately, the Admirals successfully withstood the late pressure and secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory in a competitive matchup. Following the win, Norfolk's record improved to 28-19-3-1 on the year, and the team remains in second place in the ECHL North Division with 62 points.

Sentara Health Three Stars of the Game

1. NOR - O. Salminen (19 saves off of 20 shots)

2. NOR - K. Nault (1 goal)

3. NOR - G. Sargis (1 goal, +1)

What’s Next

The Norfolk Admirals will play against the top-seeded Adirondack Thunder at the Scope on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.