Savannah goaltender Michael Simpson made 37 saves Friday on Military Appreciation Night as the Ghost Pirates downed the Norfolk Admirals 5-2 to start a two-game ECHL series before 4,682 at Scope.

Simpson, named the night’s No. 1 star, made more than 30 of those stops during the first two periods. That came while his team was building a 4-0 lead on goals by Nicholas Zabaneh, Liam Walsh, Robert Mastrosimone and Logan Drevitch.

The camouflage-wearing Admirals’ Kristóf Papp got the puck past Simpson with 1:51 to go in the second period, thanks to an odd bounce behind the net, and Jaydon Dureau’s back-door goal closed the gap to 4-2 with 2:33 remaining in regulation. Jack O’Leary assisted both goals.

Norfolk coach Jeff Carr pulled goalie Alex Worthington soon afterward, and Savannah’s Nick G

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