NORFOLK, VA – Throughout their December losing streak, the Orlando Solar Bears struggled to find the right line combinations that could produce scoring on a consistent basis. Head Coach Anthony Noreen tried multiple line variations with little success – that is until one player signing changed everything.
Wednesday night at The Scope in Norfolk, Noreen’s latest chemistry experiment paid off again as the combo of Rylan Schwartz, T.J. Foster and Eric Faille combined for two goals and six points as the Solar Bears (13-14-2-3, 31 points) torpedoed the Norfolk Admirals (12-22-1-1, 26 points) by a final score of 4-2. The victory was Orlando’s third in four games in 2016 and provided a solid start to a seven-game road trip.
Since being put together by Noreen on January 1st, the Schwartz-Foster-Faille trio (with a couple of slight alterations) has been electric, putting up a collective seven goals and nine assists. Schwartz, who was signed just after Christmas, has been especially hot with three goals and three assists by himself.
Orlando’s offense was hotter than a Central Florida summer day at the outset, ringing up two goals in the first 3:04 of the contest. The first came off the stick of Erik Bradford who took a feed from Matt Rupert, drove wide before cutting to the crease where he slid the puck past Norfolk goalie Ty Rimmer for his second goal of the season at the 2:19 mark.
Just 45 seconds later, the big line was on the hunt and hit pay dirt when Faille and Foster managed to get the disc in front where it bounced in the direction of Schwartz. Showing some solid hand-eye coordination, Schwartz swatted the puck into the back of the net for his third goal since joining the Solar Bears.
While Orlando was being efficient with its shots, the host Admirals were finding life difficult facing Solar Bears netminder Rob Madore. Norfolk’s plan to fire at will was successful in piling up shots on Madore but the veteran goalie was in a zone, stopping everything tossed his way.
Bolstered by Madore’s play, the Solar Bears tacked on another score before the end of the opening period. It came at the 14:55 mark when Foster notched his eleventh tally of the year and third in four games. Faille and Schwartz picked up assists on the score to give the line a six-point period.
Overlapping penalties early in the middle frame created a four-on-four situation. Orlando’s Brady Vail won an offensive zone draw back to the point where Zach Bell was waiting. Bell unleashed a hard wrist shot that beat Rimmer for his first goal of the season. The play also ended Rimmer’s night as he was replaced by backup Nic Riopel.
The change in netminders lit a fire under the Admirals. Jonathan Lessard finally found a way to beat Madore, snapping a shot past the goalie’s blocker glove at the 4:46 mark. It was Lessard’s tenth goal of the season.
Less than four minutes later, Michael Pelech set up defenseman Samuel Noreau for a shot from the slot that lit the goal light for Noreau’s second of the year. The score cut Orlando’s lead to two with more than half the game still left.
From that point on, the game belonged to the goalies. Riopel was giving Norfolk a chance to come back by finishing the second period without allowing a goal. Madore settled in after the Noreau score, keeping the Admirals from getting any closer before the intermission.
The third period was a stark contrast to the first two stanzas as shots and scoring opportunities were at a premium. Orlando found the going particularly tough, recording just two shots on Riopel over the first half of the period on the way to five shots for the entire period. Riopel handled all five to finish up with 14 saves in relief.
Madore was just as tough, turning away all of the nine shots the Admirals mustered in the final twenty minutes to record the 39-save win.
Orlando’s next stop on its trip is Wheeling, West Virginia where the Solar Bears will battle the Wheeling Nailers on Friday and Saturdaynights.
Contact the author at Don.money@prohockeynews.com
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