Written by Keaton Hanley

ESTERO, FL – Steven Lorentz, Joe Cox, Mitchell Heard and Stephen MacAulay all finished with two-point games to lead the Florida Everblades (45-13-2-4, 96 pts) to a 4-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals Friday night at Germain Arena.

BOX SCORE

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One of the Blades best chances of the 1st period came from Steven Lorentz late in the period when he received a cross crease pass down low on the left circle that he looked to put home past the outstretched glove of Jamie Murray on the right side of the net, but Murray committed robbery to keep the puck out of the net.

Florida broke the scoreless tie late with only 28.7 seconds to play when Mitchell Heard sent a pass from the corner all the way across the slot to find Joe Cox crashing the far side of the net. Cox managed to bang the puck home for his 20th goal of the season before sliding into the boards. With the assist, Heard extended his point streak to 11 games.

Derek Sheppard got on the board for the second time in as many games with a heat-seeking missile he fired from the point while the Blades were on the power play. With the goal, the Blades extended their lead to 2-0 just 5:15 into the second period.

The Everblades added to their lead at 12:18 with a goal from Steven Lorentz to give the Blades a 3-0 lead.  Matt Berry circled back behind the net and came out the other side and sent the puck right to the right circle where Lorentz was ready to wrist it past Murray for the goal. Florida took the 3-0 lead into the second intermission.

The Blades added their fourth of the night just 1:39 into the third period. Joe Cox skated through two Admirals defenders as he entered the zone and skated behind the net. Cox slid a pass behind an out of position Murray in net to catch MacAulay waiting outside the crease for the goal.

Martin Ouellette’s shutout fell victim during a penalty kill in the final minute of regulation.  The Admirals were able to sneak one past him late when Sam Ftorek got a puck through the crease that was turned aside by Ouellette, but TJ Moore picked up the rebound on the backside for the tap in.

Aside from breaking the shutout the goal wouldn’t mean much as the horn sounded and the Blades skated away with a 4-1 victory.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at Germain Arena.  The first 500 kids aged 12 and under will receive a free Everblades jersey courtesy of Wendy’s!

Upcoming Home Games & EventsSaturday,  March 24, vs. Norfolk, 7:00 p.m.  Wendy's Dave Thomas Foundation Night.The first 500 kids aged 12 and under will receive an Everblades jersey courtesy of Wendy's!  Pregame tailgate from 5-7 p.m. featuring live music and bounces houses fr the kids!

Wednesday,  March 28, vs. Greenville, 7:30 p.m. $2 Wednesday! Fans can ejoy $2 hot dogs, beer and wine!  College students receive a $5 tickets w/ valid college ID!

Friday,  March 30, vs. Greenville, 7:30 p.m. Laces of Love Night! Fans are asked to bring a new pair of tennis shoes or sneakers to donate to needy teenagers and children in our area! Kids eat free in the Breakaway Sports Pub with the purchase of an adult entree.  Fans can enjoy bottomless all-you-can-eat popcorn all night long!

Ticket Information

Purchase Single Game Tickets at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or online via Ticketmaster by CLICKING HERE

Ticket Packages are Currently on Sale!  Flexible partial plans are available. These packages will best fit your schedule and budget!  To view pricing and benefits of all available ticket packages CLICK HERE

Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price!  Group tickets are available for all home games. Fundraising opportunities are also available. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825, or stop by the Everblades offices at Germain Arena Monday thru Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###