Bridgeport doubles-up on Norfolk 4-2 in Morning Matinee

Bridgeport doubles-up on Norfolk 4-2 in Morning Matinee

Written by: Brad Johnson

                                                            © Bridgeport Sound Tigers

The Admirals began their four game road trip against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Wednesday morning.  The game dubbed by the Sound Tigers as their annual cool fun 101 game, featured a rare 11:00 am faceoff and is a game that is geared towards young students and focuses on the educational aspects of sports.  The Sound Tigers defeated the Admirals 4-2 and are now undefeated in their past five morning games; while amassing an impressive 3 hat tricks during those contests.  Norfolk has now lost three of their past five contests after opening the season with a 4-0 record.

Bridgeport would be the first to get on the scoreboard just 3:40 after the opening faceoff.  Colin Macdonald; a former 40 goal scorer took a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that went through a defender beating Andersen short-side.  Andersen seemed to misread the puck as the biscuit found the twine giving the Sound Tigers the early 1-0 lead.  Minutes later Brett Gallant would get drop the gloves in the first of his three fights of the night going toe-to-toe with Troy Bodie.  Both players exchanged a few great punches before Bodie was wrestled to the Ice.  I’m calling this one a draw.  The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the home team through the opening period.  Norfolk was 0-2 on the power play while outshooting their opponent by a 13-9 margin.

Kyle Palmieri quickly tied the game just 49 seconds into the second period while on the power play.  Holland would win the offensive draw moving the puck back to Kyle Palmieri; Palms as he is referred to by his teammates snapped a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle past goaltender Kevin Poulin to get the Admirals on the board.

The Sound Tigers regained their advantage while on the power play a few minutes later.  John Persson deflected a shot on goal as Andersen denied the initial chance sending the rebound onto the stick of Johan Sundtrom who one-timed the puck into the Norfolk goal for a 2-1 Bridgeport lead at 4:58 of the second.

The Admirals would even the score once again just over four minutes later.  Emerson Etem tied the game 2-2 at the 9:12 mark.  The play developed when Andersen sent a long outlet pass to Lasch; who took the puck in stride along the boards while he deked around a defender.  When he reached the goal line in the right corner, Lash found a wide open Etem in the slot sending a one-timer past Poulin.

The Sound Tigers took a 3-2 lead with less than a minute remaining in the period.  The Admirals failed to clear the zone as John Landry picked off the puck and attempted a quick shot that was blocked by Admirals defender Ryan Parent.  Brock Nelson would score the eventual game winner as he picked up the loose puck and snapped a shot that deflected off the post and into the goal behind Andersen at 19:19 of the period.  The shots were 8-7 in favor of the Admirals in the second period.

Bridgeport added an insurance marker at 15:34 of the final frame.  Nino Niederreiter scored his team-leading sixth goal on the season to close out the scoring for the contest.  Sean Backman would send a pass up the boards and down ice.  Niederreiter was the first to the puck in the Admirals zone, skating to the goal he sent a shot blocker-side past Andersen while falling to the ice.

The scoring was over but the action was far from finished.  John Kurtz landed an open-ice hit on Brock Nelson with just 20 seconds remaining in the game.  Blair Riley took exception and stepped in, dropping the gloves with Kurtz.  After the final horn, Gallant and Bodie would push and shove and decided to drop the gloves for their second match of the night.  The fight was the third of night from Gallant.

Frederik Andersen turned aside 22 of 26 shots faced in the losing effort.

Poulin stopped 28 of 30 Norfolk shots while being credited with the Victory.

Power Play:

Norfolk:   1 of 5
Bridgeport:  1 of 3

The Admirals travel to Binghamton to faceoff against the Senators on Saturday.  Puck drops at 7:05 pm

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