ESTERO, FLA – The Florida Everblades (28-10-0-2) toppled the Wheeling Nailers (10-22-5-0) with a 5-2 win at Hertz Arena on Friday night. Special teams were the story of the night with both teams recording two power-play goals and Florida netting a shorthanded tally. John McCarron, Levko Koper, and Michael Huntebrinker all turned in multi-point efforts in a game that ran close until late in the third. 
FIRST STAR: John McCarron (FLA) – one goal, two assists, plus-2, four shots
SECOND STAR: Levko Koper (FLA) – two goals, one assist, plus-3, four shots
THIRD STAR:Michael Huntebrinker (FLA) – one goal, one assist, nine shots
Wheeling led off the scoring in the first period with a power-play goal from Nick Rivera at the 4:13 mark. Rivera’s tally came after the forward tipped in a point shot while stationed at the right post.
Florida tied the game at 1-1 just over three minutes into the second period when Michael Huntebrinker scored on the power play at 3:09 of the frame. The chance developed after a Colby Sissons shot hit traffic in front of the net and kicked to an open Huntebrinker at the right post. Huntebrinker’s goal on the man-advantage marked his league-leading ninth power-play tally of the year. The Florida forward also leads all ECHL skaters with 21 goals on the season.
The Everblades’ special teams struck again in the second period on a shorthanded goal from Logan Roe at 8:50. With Blake Winiecki in the penalty box, Koper centered a puck for Roe who lined a snap shot into the top left corner to give the Everblades a 2-1 lead. Roe’s tally marked Florida’s ECHL-best 10th shorthanded goal of the season.
Despite giving up the shorthanded score, Wheeling was able to convert on the Winiecki penalty just 33 seconds after Roe’s goal. In the Florida zone, Aaron Thow threw a soft shot from the point that hit a stick in the slot. After the deflection, the puck knuckleballed over an unknowing Hildebrand and landed in the net to tie the game at 2-2 at 9:23.
The Florida power play broke through again in the third period after Wheeling’s Brady Tomlak was sent to the penalty box for tripping. Huntebrinker dismantled the Nailers’ penalty-kill unit by cutting to the slot and dishing to Myles Powell on the left circle. Powell’s subsequent wrister was stopped by Wheeling’s goaltender Shane Starrett, but McCarron buried the rebound to record his 19th goal of the season and put Florida on top 3-2 at the 6:43 mark of the period.
The Everblades found themselves on the wrong end of a five-on-three late in the third. After killing off both infractions, Joe Pendenza lugged the puck into the offensive zone for Florida. Settling into the attacking end, defenseman Stefan Leblanc fired a shot from distance that Starrett stopped but could not cover. Koper jumped on the loose change and scored the rebound to give the Everblades a 4-2 edge at 17:17. Koper eventually tabbed another goal with an empty netter to seal a 5-2 win for the Everblades at 18:38.
Hildebrand finished the night with 22 saves on 24 shots to earn his 14th win of the season in net for Florida.
The Everblades complete the week against Wheeling on Saturday, March 27th at 7 p.m. at Hertz Arena. Saturday will be DC Comics and Halloween Night in March. The Everblades will wear the guise of Aquaman for the night. Additionally, the Everblades will be hosting a Halloween Theme night with a Swampee/Waste Pro Man bobblehead giveaway to the first 1,000 fans presented by Waste Pro USA.
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