JACKSONVILLE, FLA – Monday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial Arena, the Jacksonville Icemen continued their 2018-19 campaign by playing a division foe for the first time this season, namely the Norfolk Admirals. Last season ended with both the Admirals and Icemen out of the playoffs, in the bottom of the South Division. The early part of the 2018-19 season have seen a different story, with the Admirals leading the South and the Icemen just two points behind.
Jacksonville goalie Mikhail Berdin made 27 saves plus three more in the shootout on Monday afternoon (PHN photo by Trina Kirk)
Mikhail Berdin (4-2-0) got the start in goal for the Icemen while Brad Barone (1-1-0) started for the Admirals.
Norfolk was the first team to score at 14:34 of the first period when Ben Duffy registered his second goal of the season, off assists from Zane Schartz and Jacob Graves. However, that lead would only last a little more than two minutes when, at 16:59, Wacey Rabbit recorded his team leading seventh goal from Barone’s glove side, off a slot pass by Cam Maclise. Jacob Cederholm was awarded the second assist.. That was the end of the scoring for the first period with the game tied at 1-1.
Jacksonville took the lead in the second period on the power play when, at the 12:37 mark while Connor Hurley was off for slashing, Dajon Mingo scored his third goal of the game, off assists from Everett Clark and Kris Newbury,
It took a while in a defensive minded third period but finally at the 12:47 mark, Norfolk tied the game when T.J. Melancon recorded his fourth goal of the season, off assists from Darik Angeli and Jalen Smereck. Regulation time did not see any more scoring with the game tied at 2-2.
Jacksonville’s Everett Clark (right) beat Norfolk goalie Brad Barone for the game-winning goal in Monday’s shootout (PHN photo by Trina Kirk)
Overtime was not enough to decide a winner as both teams were able to only put one shot on goal. The game went to a third round of a shootout when Everett Clark beat Barone to give the Icemen the 3-2 shootout win.
STATS: HAVE WE GOT STATS – Jacksonville outshot Norfolk for the game 34-29… Norfolk had 12 penalty minutes to 10 for Jacksonville. All of the penalties called in the contest were minors… Game attendance was 3,651… In plus/minus stats, although Jacksonville won the game, they had no players who ended the game on the plus side while Norfolk had eight with a plus-1.
IN THE FUTURE: Norfolk’s week long road trip continues Thursday when they travel to Greenville to play the Swamp Rabbits. Jacksonville has just started a stretch where seven of their next eight games are at home. That continues Wednesday night when they host the Florida Everblades.
Contact the author at kenneth.holdren@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at trina.kirk@prohockeynews.com
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