Norfolk, VA — Following last night’s loss, the Norfolk Admirals squared off with the Savannah Ghost Pirates once again to close out the weekend. In what turned into a back-and-forth battle, the Admirals saw a late lead slip away, giving up two unanswered goals in the final minutes and falling 5–4.

Isaac Poulter made his sixth appearance in the blue paint and turned in another strong effort, stopping 22 of 27 shots in the defeat.

Three minutes into the game, Savannah struck first when Josh Lopina snapped a shot past Poulter’s glove to make it 1–0. Norfolk didn’t let the early goal rattle them, and the answer came later in the period. With seven minutes left, captain Carson Musser hammered home his first goal of the season from the blue line, bringing the crowd to its feet and shifting the momentum back toward the Admirals. Norfolk outshot Savannah 14–10 in the opening frame, and the teams went into the first intermission tied 1–1.

Early in the second period, the Ghost Pirates regained control. Four minutes in, Josh Davies used his speed to break free and finished a wrister on a partial breakaway to make it 2–1. A few minutes later, Will Riedell extended the lead with a shot from the right-wing circle that beat Poulter over the shoulder.

That’s when the tide began to turn. Norfolk responded with two big goals late in the period to even the score at 3–3. Justin Young cut the deficit to one after Brandon Osmundson spun off a defender and slipped a beautiful pass to the front of the net for Young to tap in. Two minutes later, Dawson Barteaux ripped a top-shelf wrister for his first goal as an Admiral, sending Scope into a roar. Norfolk controlled the pace all period long, outshooting Savannah 19–7.

The Admirals carried that momentum into the third. Just three minutes in, Young scored his second of the night by battling for a loose puck in front of the crease and knocking it home to give Norfolk a 4–3 lead. But the ending was heartbreaking. With under three minutes remaining, Savannah found the net twice, first with a goal from Chris Lipe to tie it, and then with the eventual game-winner from Nick Granowicz, sealing a 5–4 loss for Norfolk.

Sentara Three Stars of the Game

1. SAV - N. Granowicz (1 goal)

2. NOR - J. Young (2 goals)

3. SAV - L. Drevitch (3 assists)

Next Up

Norfolk now hits the road for a seven-day trip featuring four games, beginning next Wednesday night in Trois-Rivières. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since their North Division playoff matchup, where the Lions ended the Admirals’ season before going on to win the Kelly Cup. Puck drop from Colisée Vidéotron is set for 7 p.m.