Lions’ road trip starts with a loss

The Lions began the first of their seven-game American road trip on Wednesday evening at the Norfolk Scope in Virginia to face off against the Admirals. It marked the first time this season the two clubs played one another, with the Lions currently in first place in the Eastern Conference’s North Division and the Admirals close behind in third spot. Trois-Rivières goaltender Joe Vrbetic – with six wins in eight games this year – got the nod for the Lions, while the Admirals opted for Thomas Milic to man the pipes (Milic has yet to lose in regulation time in the six games he’s played for Norfolk).

The Lions were down two goals after the first 20 minutes of play: Norfolk’s first goal came early at the 1:52 mark, while the second was scored on the power play at 14:38 after the Lions’ Jake Bricknell was sent off for slashing.

The Admirals dominated the second period, registering 19 shots on goal versus the Lions’ eight. Although tempers began to flare in the period, the score remained unchanged, with Norfolk continuing to hold a 2-0 lead.

The third period saw few scoring chances for either team, but the Admirals sealed the deal late in the period as a result of a Lions’ turnover to make the score 3-0, and then less than a minute later scored again. The final 4-0 score was the first time the Lions have been held scoreless this season.