NORFOLK, VA – Cameron Critchlow scored twice, including a goal with less than eight minutes to go in the third period, as the Jacksonville Icemen edged the Norfolk Admirals 5-3 Friday Night at The Scope.
After a scoreless first, the Admirals got on the board at 6:25 of the second period with a goal from Defenseman T.J. Melancon. Ben Duffy dumped the puck into the Jacksonville zone right to the goaltender. The goaltender pushed the puck over to the right wall where it was gathered by Kelly Klima. Klima fed the pass back to the point for T.J. Melancon. Melancon fired a shot from the point that trickled through the pads of Mikhal Berdin to give Norfolk a 1-0 lead.
Seconds later, the Admirals extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Jake Wood. Matt McMorrow got the puck in the left corner after it was dumped in. McMorrow dropped a pass back to the circle where Wood one-timed the shot home to give Norfolk a 2-0 lead early in the second period.
Halfway through the middle frame, the Icemen got on the board with a tally from Critchlow. An Admirals player turned the puck over in the corner which gave Jacksonville possession. Christopher Lalancette fed a pass from behind the net that was one-timed home past the stick of Madsen to cut the Norfolk lead to 2-1.
The Icemen tied the game taking advantage of a power-play with a goal from Justin Woods. Kris Newbury fed a pas from the center point to the right circle for Garrett Cockrill. Cockrill then passed the puck to Woods right in front of the net where he was in one-on-one with Madsen. Woods went from his backhand to his forehand and slid the puck past Madsen’s pad to tie the game at two.
Jacksonville grabbed the lead just 53 seconds later, with a goal from Cam Maclise. Garrett Ladd dumped the right corner in the Norfolk end. Wacey Rabbit gathered the puck and skated behind the net. Rabbit fired a behind the back pass to Mclise who’s shot trickled past Madsen over the line to give the Icemen a 3-2 lead.
Before the close of the second, Norfolk tied the game on a power-play goal from Donald Oliveri. Connor Hurley won the faceoff in the Jacksonville end. Hurley passed the puck back to the right point for Cody Smith. Smith fed a cross-ice pass to Oliveri who one-timed a shot between the legs of Berdin to tie the game at three goals apiece.
Jacksonville regained the lead 11:19 in the third with a goal from Ladd. An Admirals played turned the puck over in the neutral zone which led to a rush the other way for Jacksonville. Maclise passed the puck in the right circle to Ladd where he was able to beat Madsen short side to give Jacksonville a 4-3 lead.
Less than a minute later, the Icemen extended their lead and wouldn’t look back, with a tally from Critchlow. Lalancette passed the puck out from behind the net into the slot. An Admirals defender failed to clear the puck and Critchlow beat Madsen to extend the Icemen lead to two, and go on to win 5-3.
Madsen made 31 saves on 36 shots and took the loss while Berdin made 33 saves on 36 shots to win his 15th game of the year for the Icemen. Despite the loss, Duffy now has a point in the last six of seven games.
The two teams will meet again Saturday at The Scope in the Annual Pink in the Rink game presented by the Cavalier Auto Group. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
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