Melancon hat trick leads Norfolk over Greenville

GREENVILLE, SC – TJ Melancon led an offensive explosion for the Admirals as Norfolk cruised passed the Swamp Rabbits 8-1 on Tuesday night.

Melancon netted the fifth Admirals hat trick of the season in the victory. Brodie Dupont (2 goals, 1 assist), Grant Besse (1 goal, 2 assists) and Thomas Frazee (1 goal, 2 assists), and Patrick D’Amico (1 goal, 3 assists) all had multi-point nights for the Admirals in the victory.

The Admirals offense exploded in the first period scoring four time in the opening 3:14 of the game. On the third faceoff of the game the Admirals got things rolling. Frazee won the draw cleanly back to Darik Angeli who tapped the puck over to D’Amico who wristed a quick shot into the top corner of the net. The Admirals had a 1-0 lead on the first shot of the night. 0:18 seconds later Frazee continued the hot shooting, sending the second shot of the night past Ty Rimmer, giving Norfolk a 2-0 lead. The fast start didn’t stop there. On the man-advantage, Dupont sent a bouncing puck from the corner past Rimmer, giving the Admirals a 3-0 lead, and ending the netminders night after only 2:32 of action.

Melancon got in on the action 0:42 later to give Norfolk a 4-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. D’Amico turned the puck up ice, connecting with the Norfolk defenseman. Melancon faked a slap shot, before pulling the puck to the backhand and netting his first of the night.

Just over six minutes to play in the first the Swamp Rabbits found the back of the net. After Ty Reichenbach made the initial save Greenville’s Jack Nevins pushed the puck past Reichenbach, cutting the lead to 4-1. As time wound down however the Admirals weren’t finished scoring in the first. Melancon caught a pass from Frazee, cut into the high slot, and put a shot high glove side, giving Norfolk a 5-1 lead after the first.

After the first period Ty Reichenbach shut the door and the Norfolk offense cruised adding three more goals. In the second Dupont sprung Besse for a break-away and the Admirals ECH All-Star capitalized. Besse tucked the puck five-hold, giving Norfolk a 6-1 lead. Later in the period Melancon finished off the hat trick snapping a shot from the left point that beat Greenville backup goalie Zoltan Hetenyi high, giving Norfolk a 7-1 lead.

In the final period Norfolk tacked on one more goal to cap the scoring at 8-1. Dupont took a pass from Christian Horn in the high slot and quickly put it into the top right corner. With an assist on the goal Balazs Goz netted his first ECHL point.

Reichenbach stopped 36 of 37 shots in the victory.

Norfolk is back in action on Friday in Atlanta for the first of two against the Gladiators.