ESTERO, FL – Spencer Smallman recorded the first two goals of his career to lead the Florida Everblades to a 5-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday night at Germain Arena. Florida maintained first place in the South Division with the win.
Coming off a penalty kill the Admirals got on the board first at 5:26 of the first period. Patrick D’Amico walked in on the left side and ripped a shot from inside the circle that beat Callum Booth’s glove for the opening goal of the game.
The Everblades answered right back to the tie the game just 51 seconds later. Smallman scored his first professional goal for the Everblades to tie the game as he tipped a Matt McKenzie’s shot from the boards following a faceoff win from Michael Kirkpatrick.
The Everblades took the lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:14 on an incredible sequence started by Steven Lorentz in the Everblades end of the ice. Lorentz stripped a Norfolk defender of the puck at the blue line and darted the other way down the middle of the ice. Lorentz entered the zone with a Norfolk defender right on his trail but he was accompanied by John McCarron who he dropped the puck to for the chip in over Reichenbach’s shoulder. McCarron’s goal was his fifth shorthanded goal of the season.
The Everblades quickly added to the lead just 53 seconds later with Smallman’s second of the night. Kirkpatrick stole the puck away in the Norfolk end and sped up the left side boards and dropped a pass to Brett Bulmer who found Smallman cutting across the left side circle down low. Smallman took the pass across the crease and out-waited Reichenbach to lift the puck in and make it a 3-1 game.
Florida brought an abundance of sustained pressure in the second period and outshot the Admirals 20-6. The Everblades forced a turnover that finally found its way into the back of the net for the fourth tally of the night. Bulmer got a shot off from the point that bounced around in front before Justin Kea was able to bat it to the back of the net from behind an out of position Reichenbach.
Though that was the only goal of the period, so the Everblades took a 4-1 lead into the second intermission.
Logan Roe made it 5-1 for the Everblades early in the third. Matt Berry sent a pass to Roe for the one timer low on the right side circle to beat Reichenbach’s glove side.
Two penalties to the Everblades landed them on a 5-on-3 with a little over four minutes to play. The Everblades completed the penalty kill and kept their 5-1 lead that turned into a 5-1 victory as time expired.
Game Notes: Rookie forward Spencer Smallman tallied goals one and two of his professional career as he picked up points in his sixth straight game… Steven Lorentz had another huge night for the Everblades as he was all over the Admirals defensively and picked up two assists due to his heavy forecheck… Callum Booth was credited with the win for the Blades, his 18th of the season, stopping 27 of the 28 shots fired his way… Despite the win, both Mitchell Heard’s eleven-game point streak (22 points) and Stephen MacAulay’s eight-game point streak (11 pts) were snapped… The Everblades will continue their homestand on Wednesday, March 28th against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at 7:30 p.m.
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