NORFOLK, VA – Michael Kirkpatrick scored a goal and added an assist while Martin Ouellette made 40 saves to help lead the Florida Everblades (14-2-0-1, 29 points) to a 4-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals (4-13-1-0, 9 points) Friday night at the Norfolk Scope. With the result, the Everblades have now won each of their last six games.
Despite both teams seeing some chances early on, both Norfolk goaltender Ty Reichenbach and Florida goaltender Ouellette proved to be on their game, turning away every shot faced in the opening period of play.
While the great goaltending from both netminders continued into the second period, the Everblades would find a way to get on the board and take a 1-0 lead midway through the middle frame. Kirkpatrick darted in towards the right wing circle. Kirkpatrick rifled his shot top shelf past the glove of Reichenbach.
Doubling that lead late in the second period, Joe Cox gave the Everblades a 2-0 lead as he banged home a chance from point blank range. Steven Lorentz got the puck to Mike Vaskivuo behind the net. Vaskivuo’s flipped a pass in front pass that was picked up by Cox who banged his chance off the goaltender and into the net.
The Everblades two-goal lead did not last long. Just 37 seconds into the third period, Brodie Dupont got the Admirals on the board and made it a 2-1 game. Darik Angeli won the faceoff inside the attacking zone. Receiving the puck at the blue line, Dupont fired his shot through traffic and past a screened Ouellette.
However, while the Admirals continued to build momentum throughout the third period, it would be the Everblades that would net the game’s next goal. Logan Roe held the puck in the zone and eventually got the puck over to Stephen MacAulay. MacAulay threw the puck towards the slot where an arriving Roe buried it into the back of the net.
Adding a late empty net goal from Brett Bulmer, the Everblades sealed both the 4-1 win and their sixth straight victory.
Ouellette was outstanding in goal for the Everblades, stopping all but one of the 41 shots he faced. Reichenbach was also stellar in goal for the Admirals, but does suffer the loss after allowing three goals on 42 shots.
Continuing on their six game road trip, the Everblades returnto the Norfolk Scope Saturday night to once again take on the Norfolk Admirals. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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