NORFOLK, VA – On a night that saw hometown forward Brandon Osmundson named captain of the Norfolk Admirals for the 2026-27 season, alongside alternate captains Grant Hebert and Marko Reifenberger, the Admirals returned to Norfolk Scope for their highly anticipated home opener on Friday night. Despite holding a 3-2 lead midway through the second period, Norfolk surrendered four unanswered goals and fell to the Trois-Rivières Lions, 6-3, in front of 8,148 fans.

Goaltender Collin Delia made his first home start for the Admirals, finishing the evening with 19 saves on 24 shots faced. Will Gavin led Norfolk offensively with two assists, while Ryan Gagnon, Marko Reifenberger, and Jack O'Leary each found the back of the net.

Norfolk opened the scoring at the 4:31 mark of the first period when Gagnon tipped in a shot past Trois-Rivières goaltender Hunter Jones, giving the Admirals an early 1-0 advantage. Gavin and Michael Citara earned assists on the goal, which marked Gagnon's first of the season.

The Lions responded at 12:30 when Nolan Hutcheson capitalized on a rebound opportunity in front of Delia, finding the back of the net to even the score at 1-1.

Both teams exchanged power-play opportunities throughout the opening frame, but neither side could capitalize. Trois-Rivières held a 13-9 advantage in shots on goal as the two teams entered the first intermission tied at one.

The second period featured a flurry of offensive action, with five combined goals between the two teams.

Just 40 seconds into the middle frame, Brooklyn Kalmikov put the Lions ahead, 2-1, with a power-play goal off an assist from Mathieu Bizier.

Norfolk wasted little time responding. At the 3:27 mark, Reifenberger found the back of the net for his first goal of the season, evening the score at 2-2. Brody Crane and Citara collected the assists, with Citara recording his second helper of the evening.

Less than three minutes later, the Admirals regained the lead. At 6:04, O'Leary scored his first goal of the season off assists from Gavin and Brett Pfoh, putting Norfolk back in front, 3-2. The assist marked Gavin's second point of the night.

The physicality intensified midway through the period as tensions boiled over between the two teams. At the 10:59 mark, Osmundson and Jacob Dion dropped the gloves, with both players receiving five-minute fighting majors.

Trois-Rivières responded offensively at 12:07 when Kale McCallum capitalized on an opportunity in front of the net to tie the game at 3-3. Anthony Beauregard and Kalmikov earned assists on the equalizing tally.

The Lions reclaimed the lead at 16:53 when Bizier scored his first goal of the evening off assists from Mathias Laferrière and Nathaël Roy, giving Trois-Rivières a 4-3 advantage.

Despite the five-goal period, Norfolk entered the second intermission trailing by just one goal. The Lions held an 18-15 advantage in shots on goal through 40 minutes of play.

Entering the third period, the Admirals looked to overcome their one-goal deficit and regain the offensive momentum they had established earlier in the contest.

Norfolk generated several scoring chances in the final frame, outshooting Trois-Rivières 15-7. However, Jones remained steady between the pipes, denying the Admirals an opportunity to find the equalizer.

At the 11:31 mark, the Lions extended their advantage during four-on-four play when Édouard Charron converted on a breakaway opportunity, putting Trois-Rivières ahead 5-3. 

With time winding down, Norfolk pulled Delia for an additional attacker in an effort to cut into the deficit. However, Bizier sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:33, his second of the evening, to give the Lions a 6-3 lead.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. TR – Mathieu Bizier (2 Goals, 1 Assist)
2. TR – Brooklyn Kalmikov (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
3. NOR – Will Gavin (2 Assists)

NEXT UP

The Admirals will look to bounce back on Saturday evening as they continue their three-game weekend series against the Trois-Rivières Lions at Norfolk Scope. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. tomorrow, with the series concluding on Sunday at 3:05 p.m.