Worcester, MA - Norfolk defeated the Worcester Railers 5-2 in the conclusion of their nine-game season series to extend their win streak to two games.

The Admirals came out of the gates swinging, outshooting Worcester 15 to 5 in the first period. Brandon Osmundson got the party started with his 17th goal of the season as Brady Fleurent found the Chesapeake native from below the goal line for a one-timer goal just 3:25 into the game. Later in the first, Ryan Miotto and Matt DeMellis would each be taken to the Worcester penalty box for holding penalties that overlapped for 10-seconds giving the Admirals a 5-on-3 power play. Josh McDougall would move it across the blue-line off the Norfolk faceoff win to Jaydon Dureau who blasted another one-timer past Parker Gahagen for a 2-0 Admirals lead 14:56 into the first period. Killian Kiecker-Olson would pick up his first career point on a secondary assist on that power play goal, his first of three assists in this game. Norfolk would take that 2-0 lead into the first intermission along with their +10 shot differential.

Goaltender Isaac Poulter, appearing in his 30th game of the season tonight, would steal the show as he would make 28 of 30 saves through the second and third periods. Norfolk found the back of the net in the opening five minutes of the period once again as Captain Carson Musser joined the rush to tap home a Brandon Osmundson back-door feed to extend the Admirals lead to 3-0 4:10 into the second period. Musser’s third goal of the season would stand as the game-winning goal by the end of the game. Following Norfolk’s third goal, the Railers ensuing shift was all about physicality and trying to spark their team. Worcester’s Cole Donhouser would be penalized for boarding on Norfolk’s Kiecker-Olson, but Osmundson went to defend his new teammate and linemate, challenging Donhauser following the hit. Both Osmundson and Donhouser would be taken for roughing minors, with the Railer forward earning the extra for the original boarding. Later in the second, Marko Reifenberger would get his stick up in the face of a Worcester forward, earning him a high-sticking penalty with 12:33 left in the second. Norfolk killed that penalty off, and Jack O’Leary found Reifenberger behind the defense fresh out of the box, and the Hastings, MN native made no mistake on the breakaway to give the Admirals the  4-0 lead to end period 2.

O’Leary and Noel would take penalties at the end of the second period to put Norfolk shorthanded 5-on-3 to start the third period, but the Admirals’ penalty kill would be successful in eliminating the Railers power play chance at the start of the final period. Cole Donhauser would take his second roughing penalty of the night following a net-front altercation with Admirals defender Brehdan Engum, and some extra vocabulary towards the officiating staff earned Donhauser a game misconduct for abuse of officials at 13:02 of the third period. MacAuley Carson would find a shorthanded goal on a rebound for the Railers to end Poulter’s shutout bid at 13:47, but Brady Fleurent gave Norfolk their four-goal lead right back 14-seconds later for his team-leading 23rd goal of the season. Worcester would answer 49-seconds later on a wraparound from New York Islanders-signed defenseman Jesse Pulkkinen’s 7th goal of the season to make it 5-2, and that is where it would stand for the remainder of the night.

Norfolk improves to 23-29-3-0 (49 points) and pulls back within 16 points of the Reading Royals, who currently lay claim to the final playoff spot in the North Division, and Isaac Poulter earns his 19th win of the season.

Three Stars:

3rd- B. Osmundson

2nd- I. Poulter

1st- K. Kiecker-Olson

NORFOLK: 

Powerplay- 2/4 | 24 shots on goal | Poulter- W (33 Saves)

WORCESTER:

Powerplay- 0/4 | 35 shots on goal | Gahagen- L (15 Saves) / Gale (4 Saves) *Started 3^rd period*

The Admirals continue their road trip in the Northeast as they head to Portland, ME, for two games this weekend against the Maine Mariners. Puck drop for Friday’s game at Cross Insurance Arena will be at 7:15pm. Be sure to tune in to the Sentara Norfolk Admirals Broadcast Network to catch all the Admirals action while they’re away from Scope Arena.