DULUTH, GA – The Norfolk Admirals continued their opening weekend road trip on Saturday evening, facing the Atlanta Gladiators at Gas South Arena in the second game of the 2026-27 regular season. Coming off a 3-0 shutout victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Friday night, Norfolk looked to carry that momentum into the first of two consecutive matchups against Atlanta. However, despite taking the lead in the second period, the Admirals surrendered two unanswered goals and fell to the Gladiators, 2-1, suffering their first loss of the season.

Goaltender Collin Delia made his highly anticipated Admirals debut between the pipes, becoming the second Norfolk goaltender to make his team debut in as many nights. He finished the night with 30 saves off 32 shots faced.

The opening period began with physicality as Matthew Argentina and Atlanta's Connor Caponi engaged in an altercation just 28 seconds into the contest, with both players receiving double-minor penalties for roughing. Norfolk controlled much of the early pace, generating offensive opportunities and establishing pressure in Atlanta's defensive zone. 

However, the Gladiators began finding their rhythm as the period progressed, creating several scoring chances of their own. The Admirals held a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal, but neither team could break through as the opening 20 minutes concluded scoreless.

The second period featured an increase in physicality and penalties, with both teams battling for control of the contest. Norfolk's penalty-killing unit continued its strong play from the previous night, successfully killing off three Atlanta power-play opportunities through the first 40 minutes.

After nearly two periods of scoreless hockey, the Admirals finally broke through on the power play at the 16:05 mark. Grant Hebert delivered a feed to Kristóf Papp in front of the net, where Papp fired a shot through the five-hole of Atlanta goaltender Ethan Haider to give Norfolk a 1-0 advantage. The goal marked Papp's first of the season and the Admirals' first power-play goal of the 2026-27 campaign. Hebert and Will Gavin earned assists on the play.

Atlanta responded just 92 seconds later. At 17:37, Colton Friesen capitalized on a rebound opportunity in front of Delia, putting the loose puck into the back of the net to even the score at 1-1. Despite the back-and-forth action, Norfolk continued to demonstrate its defensive resilience and effectiveness on special teams. With 40 minutes in the books, the Admirals and Gladiators remained deadlocked at 1-1, with Atlanta holding a narrow 21-20 advantage in shots on goal.

The Gladiators broke the deadlock in the third period when Ben Strinden fired a shot past Delia, giving Atlanta its first lead of the evening at 2-1.

Penalties continued to play a significant role in the contest, as Norfolk was assessed three separate penalties during the final 20 minutes. The repeated trips to the penalty kill limited the Admirals' ability to establish sustained offensive pressure and generate scoring opportunities. Despite another resilient effort from Norfolk's penalty-killing unit, Atlanta maintained its one-goal advantage as the final period played out.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. ATL - B. Strinden (1 goal)

2. ATL - C. Friesen (1 goal, +1)

3. ATL - M. McNamee (2 assists, +1)

NEXT UP

The team concludes their opening weekend road trip with one more clash with the Gladiators tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop at Gas South Arena tomorrow is at 3:10 p.m.