Norfolk, VA — Coming off a weekend series victory, the Norfolk Admirals welcomed the Fort Wayne Komets to town for the first-ever matchup between the two inside Norfolk Scope Arena. The Admirals played a hard, efficient game but could not overcome a stout Komets roster, falling 3–1 on Wednesday night.
Alex Worthington got the start in goal for Norfolk, making his 16th appearance of the season. He finished the evening with 20 saves on 22 shots faced in the loss.
The Komets came out flying to start the game, showcasing their skill early. Just over eight minutes in, Kirill Tyutyayev opened the scoring for the visitors, wiring a shot past Worthington to give Fort Wayne a 1–0 lead.
About five minutes later, the Admirals found themselves shorthanded but flipped the momentum. Chase Yoder’s effort down low created an opportunity at the top of the crease for Brandon Osmundson, who buried his 14th goal of the season to even the game at 1 late in the first period.
Fort Wayne applied consistent pressure throughout the opening frame, but Norfolk settled in and began to assert control, dictating the pace of play. After 20 minutes, the score remained tied at 1, with shots deadlocked at eight apiece.
The second period remained tightly contested, with both sides trading chances and neither willing to make the costly mistake. The building came alive midway through the frame when Brayden Nicholetts dropped the gloves with a Komet skater, injecting energy into both the bench and the crowd.
That pivotal mistake eventually came late in the period. A strange bounce off the corner boards ricocheted toward the net and slipped in, with Jayden Grubbe credited for the go-ahead goal to give Fort Wayne a 2–1 lead heading into the final frame. That tally proved to be the difference, as the Komets maintained their edge after two periods.
Norfolk generated several quality chances in the third period but was unable to capitalize. Fort Wayne sealed the victory with less than two minutes remaining when James Stefan found the empty net, securing the series-opening win for the visitors.
Sentara Three Stars of the Game
1. FW - J. Grubbe (Game-winning goal, +2)
2. FW - S. Jonsson (25 saves off 26 shots)
3. NOR - A. Worthington (20 saves off 22 shots)
The two teams will meet again on Friday night at 7:05 p.m., as the Admirals return to the ice and host Mental Health Awareness Night at Scope.
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