RECAP | Admirals' Late Comeback Falls Just Short Against Reading

Reading, PA – After their victory last night, the Norfolk Admirals took to the ice for the final time this weekend, finishing up their seven-game road trip with another matchup against the Reading Royals. In a late-game effort, the Admirals' comeback fell short, resulting in a 2-1 loss to the Royals.

Kristian Stead received the nod in goal for his 15th appearance this season. He finished the afternoon with 44 saves out of 46 shots faced.

Stead established his significant presence early in the contest by executing several critical saves that maintained a scoreless outcome. The Admirals encountered penalties on two occasions during the opening period; however, Reading was unable to capitalize on these opportunities, failing to secure the first goal of the game. Despite the Royals having a five-on-three power play, Stead's exceptional performance in goal proved decisive.

After the first twenty minutes of play, the score remained tied at zero, with Stead recording a total of 20 saves.

The second period commenced with Norfolk successfully defending against a pivotal five-on-three penalty kill, preserving the deadlock. Approximately five minutes into the period, the Admirals found themselves on the power play; however, this opportunity proved detrimental as the Royals registered a short-handed goal from Ryan Leibold, who managed to beat the left shoulder of Stead. Throughout the remainder of the period, the Admirals intensified their forechecking efforts.

Bryce Brodzinski presented the most significant scoring opportunity for Norfolk, executing a two-on-zero breakaway in which he attempted to score five-hole against Royals goaltender Parker Gahagen, but was unsuccessful, resulting in a continued 1-0 advantage for Reading. This score held firm after two periods, as the Admirals increased their pressure through effective forechecking but struggled to solve the defensive challenge posed by Gahagen.

The Royals extended their lead in the third period with a goal from Patrick Bajkov at the halfway mark. Reading continued to fire shots at Stead, but he successfully kept the game from getting out of hand. As time ran down, the Admirals pulled their goalie and finally got on the scoreboard with a powerful shot from Carson Golder, marking his 17th goal of the season.

As Norfolk emptied their net once more, time was not on their side, and the Royals were able to withstand the late surge to secure a 2-1 victory.

What’s Next

These two teams will face each other one more time consecutively as the series shifts venues, back to Norfolk Scope, for a lone contest on Wednesday night for Hockey Happy Hour. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.