Trois-Rivières, Quebec — After snapping a losing streak last night, the Norfolk Admirals wrapped up their series with the Trois-Rivières Lions. Despite a valiant effort, Norfolk fell 6–1.
Alex Worthington made his seventh appearance in goal and finished the afternoon with 25 saves out of 31 shots faced.
It didn’t take long for the afternoon’s scoring to begin. Just four minutes into the first period, the Lions struck first as Isaac Dufort cleaned up a rebound in front to give Trois-Rivières the early 1–0 lead. From there, the momentum stayed firmly on their side.
As the period unfolded, Trois-Rivières continued to dictate the pace and possession. With nine minutes left in the frame, Charles Martin made it 2–0, finishing a breakaway that stemmed from an Admirals defensive turnover. Norfolk worked to settle in, but the pressure from the Lions didn’t fade.
Three minutes later, Anthony Poulin added to the surge, stepping into the slot and ripping a one-timer past the Norfolk netminder to extend the lead to 3–0. The Admirals struggled to generate sustained offensive zone time, while Trois-Rivières maintained consistent control.
By the time the horn sounded, the Lions held a commanding 12–1 edge in shots and a 3–0 lead after twenty minutes.
The Lions continued to pour on the pressure early in the second period, stretching their lead to 4–0 just five minutes in. After Brandon McNally was sent to the penalty box for interference, Trois-Rivières wasted little time converting on the man advantage. Tyler Hylland found space out front and hammered home a clean one-timer, leaving the Admirals chasing the game.
Norfolk showed signs of life as the period wound down. With under five minutes remaining, the Admirals capitalized on a hard-working shift in the offensive zone. Chase Yoder drove the puck to the net, creating a rebound that Marko Reifenberger was ready to bury for his second goal of the season. The tap-in marker gave Norfolk a much-needed spark and a brief surge in momentum.
However, that lift didn’t last long. Just a minute after the Admirals got on the board, the Lions responded with another sharp finish from in tight. Morgan Adams-Moisan stepped into a one-timer and snapped the energy right back in Trois-Rivières’ favor, restoring the four-goal cushion at 5–1.
Despite the scoreline, Norfolk pushed back with a stronger second period, outshooting the Lions 15–9 and generating more sustained pressure. But after forty minutes, the Admirals still faced a steep uphill climb, trailing 5–1 heading into the final frame.
The Lions struck again early in the third period as Tyler Hylland completed his two-goal afternoon, blasting home a shot to extend Trois-Rivières’ lead to 6–1.
Sentara Three Stars of the Game
1. TR – T. Hylland (2 goals, 1 assist, +2)
2. TR – T. Cormier (3 assists, +1)
3. TR – A. Poulin (1 goal, 1 assist, +2)