ORLANDO, FLA – Heading into Friday night’s contest, both the Orlando Solar Bears and Norfolk Admirals were looking for their first victory of the 2019-20 ECHL regular season. Norfolk had lost twice to Florida while Orlando was doubled up by South Carolina. Either way, one of the squads was going to skate away happy.
Unfortunately for the 5,548 in attendance at the Amway Center, it was not the host Solar Bears.
Led by a spectacular 49-save performance by goaltender Brandon Halverson and two points from Alex Rodriguez, the visiting Admirals (1-2-0-0) came away with a 3-2 victory. Chris LeBlanc and Cody Donaghey each scored once for the Solar Bears (0-2-0-0) while Hunter Fejes returned after a stint in the AHL and recorded a team single-game record of 12 shots on net in a losing effort.
Orlando forward Hunter Fejes (23, purple) watched as Norfolk goalie Brandon Halverson fends off a shot during Friday’s second period (Photo courtesy of Fernando Medina / Orlando Solar Bears)
“I thought we outplayed them. You can say we played decent enough but we outplayed them,” Solar Bears Head Coach and General Manager Drake Berehowsky said following the defeat. “We out zone-timed them by five minutes in the second [period], three [minutes] in the first and third. We doubled their shots. Chances at the net front- I don’t even know what they were – but I thought we played a really good game. It’s just unfortunate that we couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Following a lackluster effort in last weekend’s season opener, Orlando was more than ready to beat up on the visiting Admirals. From the outset, the Solar Bears were all over Norfolk, pushing the tempo of the contest and forcing Halverson to be ready for anything and everything. Halverson, with more than 60 ECHL contests and 50 more in the AHL, had his “A” game going, turning away everything sent in his direction as the home team blasted 16 shots at him in the opening frame.
At the other end of the ice, Zach Fucale was making his first start in an Orlando jersey and matched his positional opponent save for save. After a close call midway through the frame, Fucale settled in and stopped all nine Norfolk shots he faced as the teams finished the first twenty minutes in a scoreless tie.
The Admirals got on the board first early in the second, taking advantage of special teams to open the scoring. With Orlando’s Jake Marchment in the penalty box, Norfolk worked the puck down to Rodriguez at the base of the faceoff circle to Fucale’s left. Rodriguez made a cross-crease pass that despite a defensive stick getting a piece of it, found Christian Horn open on the backside. Horn was able to whack the puck home for his first goal of the new season to give the Admirals the lead.
Orlando had a number of opportunities to even the score, going on a handful of power plays over the course of the middle frame including a short four-on-three chance. Despite putting double digit shots on the Norfolk cage, Halverson kept the Solar Bears scoreless. In all, the Traverse City, Michigan native stopped 19 shots in the second as the Admirals took their slim one-goal lead into the closing twenty minutes.
“You’re going to run into goalies like that [Halverson] that get hot here and there. It’s all part of it,” Berehowsky said about the Norfolk goalie.
Orlando goalie Zach Fucale (35, purple) fends off a shot by Norfolk’s Alex Rodriguez as Solar Bears defenseman Taylor Doherty looks on (Photo courtesy of Fernando Medina / Orlando Solar Bears)
Happy with his team’s effort through the first two periods, Berehowsky preached “staying the course” and continuing to dictate play as the third period began. With the Admirals protecting the lead, the Solar Bears created even more chances but failed to light the goal light. Norfolk took advantage when Philippe Hudon sent Charlie O’Connor streaking into the Orlando defensive zone. As a defender closed in, O’Connor fired a shot that slipped between Fucale’s legs and into the back of the net at the 7:58 mark to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. The score was O’Connor’s first of the year.
Needing something to go their way, the Solar Bears went on the man advantage 67 seconds later and gave the crowd something to cheer for. Right off the faceoff, Fejes took a feed from Tristin Langan along the boards. Fejes zipped a pass to the slot where LeBlanc was open. Although Halverson initially stopped LeBlanc’s attempt, the Winthrop, Massachusetts native followed his own rebound and popped it home for his first of the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
As the shot count continued to grow, Halverson seemed to get better and better, which frustrated the Solar Bears to no end. As the tempers flared, it led to a scrap between Orlando defenseman Matthew Spencer and Norfolk’s Horn with five minutes remaining.
With just over two minutes left in regulation, Hudon had a chance to put the game out of reach but Fucale (26 saves on 28 shots faced) turned him away. Berehowsky pulled Fucale with 1:44 to go but Rodriguez spoiled the Solar Bears plans by depositing the puck in the empty net from center ice to restore the Admirals’ two-goal cushion.
That tally would prove to be an important one as Orlando pressed and when Fejes set up Cody Donaghey for an absolute bomb from the point that beat Halverson through a screen to trim the visitors lead to 3-2 with 58 ticks left on the clock.
It would be as close as the Solar Bears would get as the Admirals closed ranks in support of Halverson to finish off the win.
Despite the disappointing loss, Berehowsky was proud of how his team played.
“I thought everybody bought in tonight. We cycled pucks on them. Like I said, [the way] we out zone-timed them by the margins we did was pretty good especially when we had so many penalties,” he said. “We just have to keep working at it and stay positive and stay the course.”
Orlando forward Chris LeBlanc (16,purple) fires on Norfolk goalie Brandon Halverson. LeBlanc scored on the ensuing rebound during Friday’s third period of play (Photo courtesy of Fernando Medina / Orlando Solar Bears)
That course will take the Solar Bears up to North Charleston, South Carolina where they will have a rematch with the South Carolina Stingrays Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.
Game Notes: Final shots were 51-29 in favor of Orlando… Each team netted a power play tally, Norfolk’s coming on five chances while the Solar Bears score came out of seven opportunities… Orlando’s Langan and Fejes each recorded two assists in the game. The two points for Langan were the rookie’s first two professional points… In order to make room on the roster for Fejes after he was signed on Wednesday, Orlando released forward Pierre-Luc Mercier… Fejes’ 12 shots on net broke the previous record of 11 shared by Colby McAuley (March 9, 2019), Eric Faille (Nov. 17, 2016) and Eric Baier (Nov. 8,2015)… Earlier on Friday, Solar Bears goalie Zach Sawchenko was recalled by the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda… LeBlanc’s power play goal was Orlando’s first man advantage score of the season after it was found that Ivan Kosorenkov first goal last Saturday was changed to an even strength tally due to a timing error.
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