The two top teams in the North Division met in Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday Night as the Adirondack Thunder came into the night with a comfortable 11-point lead on the second-place Norfolk Admirals. Adirondack would get on the board first as Mike Gillespie threw a puck to the net while trying to avoid a hit, and it would get past Oskari Salaminen at the 8:13 mark as Gillespie picked up his fifth goal of the season and first since January 19th vs Trois-Rivieres Lions. Adirondack’s lead wouldn’t last long as Denis Smirnov would put home a rebound at the 8:15 mark to tie the game for the Admirals. In the second, both teams would get golden opportunities short-handed but wouldn’t be able to convert as both goalies would stand on their heads. The Admirals would finally take the lead at the 12:50 mark of the second as a weak shot by Connor Fedorek would sneak past Vinnie Purpura. The Thunder definitely had several chances to tie the game up, but Salaminen was hot for the Admirals tonight, as he would finish the night with 36 saves; Vinnie Purpura made 30 saves in the loss. Stephan Timofeyev would add a goal in the third to cap off the 3-1 win for Norfolk. Adirondack and Norfolk will finish off their season series as Norfolk will head to Adirondack for three games beginning on March 22nd.
Adirondack, after a strong start on the road this year where they would go 17-3 to start the year away from Cool Insuring Arena, have now dropped the last five games on the road and will look to right the ship on Friday Night as they begin a two-game set vs Reading Royals.
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