NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- In the first playoff game the Admirals have hosted in a decade, the team did not disappoint, as an energetic crowd watched Norfolk shoot its way to victory.
Gehrett Sargis scored two goals and the Admirals held off a late Trois Rivieres charge to top the Lions, 6-3, in Game 4 of the ECHL Northern Division semifinals at the Scope on Wednesday night. The win gave Norfolk a 3-1 lead in the series and moved it to within one victory of advancing.
The Admirals opened up a 4-0 lead early in the second period before the visitors charged back and cut the advantage to 4-3. Norfolk was able to add a goal in the third and slammed the door with an empty netter.
"I knew they were going to come back," said head coach Jeff Carr. "That's what happens when you don't step on a team's throat, but at the end of the day, it's playoff hockey. They're a good team, there's a reason they're in the playoffs. If we think we're just stroll to a 7-0 win, we're sadly mistaken."
Sargis started the scoring 10:58 into the opening frame and Austin Keating added a score 40 seconds later to give the Admirals an early 2-0 lead. Sargis netted his second score of the night with 1:33 remaining in the first period, going top shelf off a pretty feed from Keating to give Norfolk the 3-0 advantage at the first intermission.
The scoring continued early in the second, as Thomas Caron scored on a breakaway one-on-one situation just 22 seconds into the frame.
It was far from over, however, as the Lions came back with three unanswered goals and cut the lead to 4-3 with 12:33 remaining in the game. Norfolk had one more rally left, however, as Simon Kubicek fired home a one-timer with 4:32 to play and Darick Louis-Jean added an empty net score to seal the victory.
The fans came to play as well. 4,782 Admirals faithful poured into the Scope to catch the postseason fever and were treated to a Norfolk win. It was a strong crowd, considering the Wednesday night showdown.
"The crowd was incredible," Sargis said. "It was a fun night to be a part of."
Now the Admirals have a chance to clinch the series Saturday night in Game 5. The team knows it's on the brink of checking off another box, but the message in the locker room is that the work is far from over.
"The job's not done, it's not even close to done," Carr noted. "It doesn't matter if we're up two with 30 seconds left in Game 5, it's a best-of-seven series or until you win four. That's how it rolls, so we have another huge game ahead."
"We haven't proven anything yet," added Sargis. "This is a long haul, it's a marathon, so we haven't done anything yet. We've just got to keep it rolling."
The Admirals and Trois Rivieres face off in Game 5 of their first round series Saturday at 7:05 PM.
