An uplifting comeback turned into a deflating defeat Saturday night for Norfolk as Savannah edged the Admirals 5-4 before 4,817 at Scope, giving the Ghost Pirates a two-game sweep of an ECHL series.
Justin Young scored two goals for the Admirals (4-5-2-0), but they suffered their third consecutive defeat. They scored three consecutive goals to go ahead 4-3, only to see Chris Lipe score with 2:55 left in regulation and Nick Granowicz net the eventual winning goal with 1:37 remaining for Savannah (5-1-2-1). Granowicz was named the night’s No. 1 star.
The Ghost Pirates’ Josh Lopina scored 3:10 into the game, but Norfolk’s Carson Musser tied it at 13:12.
In the second period, Savannah moved ahead 3-1 in the first 7:06 on goals by Josh Davies and Will Riedell, but the Admirals then turned the momentum. Justin Young scored at 10:52 off assists from Chesapeake native Brandon Osmundson and Brady Fleurent, and Dawson Barteaux provided the tying goal barely more than two minutes later. It was 3-3 after two periods.
Young, the game’s No. 2 star, put Norfolk ahead 4-3 3:07 into the final period. But Savannah twice beat goalie Isaac Poulter in the waning stages, dooming him to a loss despite his 22 saves.
Evan Cormier was the second Ghost Pirates goalie in as many nights to make 37 saves for a victory, matching Michael Simpson’s effort in Friday’s 5-2 game.
The Admirals will head to Canada and get back to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Quebec, starting a three-game series over a four-day span with the Trois-Rivières Lions.
