PORTLAND, ME – January 12, 2025 – Jimmy Lambert recorded the Mariners’ first hat trick of the season in a 5-3 Sunday afternoon victory over the Norfolk Admirals at the Cross Insurance Arena. Lambert finished the day with four points as the Mariners defeated the Admirals for the first time in seven tries this season.
The visiting Admirals got on the board first at 3:30 of the opening period when Ben Zloty sprung Sean Montgomery on a breakaway, and Montgomery lifted one over the shoulder of Ryan Bischel to open the scoring. Maine found the tying goal about six minutes later when Jimmy Lambert lifted a bouncing puck over Kasimir Kaskisuo’s glove off a nice feed from Christian Berger below the goalie line.
The Mariners dominated the second period, scoring three times to open up a 4-1 lead. Matthew Philip broke the tie at 5:43 when he redirected Wyllum Deveaux’s pass just across the goal line behind Kaskisuo. About five minutes later, Owen Pederson scooped up a loose puck out of a scramble in front of the Norfolk net and potted his fifth of the season to give Maine a two-goal advantage. At 12:41 of the period, Lambert struck for his second of the game when he pulled up in the slot and squeezed another through Kaskisuo.
Early in the 3rd, Montgomery struck for his second of the day at 1:19 to pull Norfolk back within two and Biddeford’s Brady Fleurent got the deficit down to one with a goal at 11:58. A key double-minor high-sticking penalty against Norfolk’s Justin Young with under seven minutes left stalled the Admirals comeback, and Lambert hit the empty net at 19:46 to seal the win.
Ryan Bischel made 21 stops on 24 shots to earn his 9th win of the season while Kaskisuo stopped 31 of 35 in his Admirals debut.
The Mariners (13-16-3) travel to the Midwest to take on three Central division teams next week, beginning Wednesday at Indy with a 7 PM faceoff against the Fuel. They return to home ice for a Three Dollar Deweys “Threekend” from January 24-26 against Worcester and Trois-Rivieres, beginning with Pride Night presented by the Holiday Inn by the Bay on January 24th at 7:15 PM. Single game tickets are available at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Hammond Lumber Company Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. For more information on ticket packages and group discounts, fans can call 833-GO-MAINE, go to MarinersOfMaine.com, or visit the Mariners front office at 94 Free Street in Portland.
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