ECHL Game Recap: Norfolk Admirals vs Adirondack Thunder | 10/19/2024

The Adirondack Thunder and Norfolk Admirals met for their second and final game of the weekend series on Saturday Night after the Thunder made a third-period comeback on Friday Night to take the first game. Unlike in the opening game of the series, the physicality would start early as Darian Skeoch and Spencer Kennedy would drop the gloves just 2:38 after the opening faceoff. For the second straight night, the Admirals would get on the board first as Carson Musser would finish off a three-on-two odd-man rush as it was 1-0 Admrials just over minutes into the game. In a first period dominated by the Admirals, they would double their lead as Denis Smirnov got a golden opportunity at the side of the net and netted his first goal of the 2024-25 season at the 14:38 mark of the period as Norfolk would lead 2-0 after the opening frame while outshooting the Thunder 15-7.

Heading into the second, Adirondack needed something to change the momentum, and they would get it late in the period on the PP as Alex Young would feed Ryan Wheeler in the circle as he ripped one home to put the Thunder within one at the 5:36 mark. It wouldn’t take the 27-year-old long to double his goal total as the Young-Wheeler duo struck again as Young would feed Wheeler coming down the wing, and he’d tie the game up at two at 13:16. Adirondack wasn’t done yet in the second as Taylor Ford would spring Tag Bertuzzi on a breakaway who would pick up his first goal as a member of the Thunder with 44.2 seconds left in the middle frame and the Thunder after being down 2-0 would head into the third period with a 3-2 lead.

In the third, the momentum would continue to sway in Adirondack’s favor as Ryan Smith’s clearing attempt was blocked as Carson Golder took a shot that hit the post before the Virginia native stole the puck off of the stick of Musser and got a short-handed breakaway and would beat Kristian Stead to give the Thunder a 4-2 lead. Norfolk would have a golden chance to get back into the game as they had a five-on-three for 56 seconds with a little under five minutes to go but wouldn’t convert as Patrick Polino would add an empty-netter to make it a 5-2 game. Just as the penalties expired, Kennedy would find the back of the net for his first pro goal to make it a two-goal game with 2:50 to go. Alex Young would hit the empty net less than a minute later to finish off a three-point night as Adirondack would take home a 6-3 victory. Tyler Brennan was very solid in his first appearance of the 2024-25 season, keeping Adirondack in the game early as he picked up 33 saves for his first win of the year.