JACKSONVILLE, FL – Mitchell Heard scored the eventual game-winning goal while also adding an assist to help lead the Florida Everblades (40-12-2-4, 86 points) to a 5-2 victory over the rival Jacksonville Icemen (22-30-4-3, 51 points) Friday night at the Veterans Memorial Arena. Following the result, the Everblades now lead the South Division by five points over the South Carolina Stingrays.
Logan Roe opened the night’s scoring and give the Everblades a 1-0 lead. Picking up the puck near his own end line, Roe moved the puck into the neutral zone. Cutting into the attacking zone, Roe got to the front of the net before making a nice move to slide his shot under the leg pad of Jacksonville goaltender Austin Lotz.
Matt Berry doubled the Everblades lead with just 14-seconds remaining in the opening frame. Berry intercepted a pass and went defense-to-offense. Berry cut to the front of the net, deked to the backhand, and then flipped his shot over the glove of Austin Lotz and into the net.
Heard recorded his 10th point in the last five games as he gave Florida a 3-0 lead midway through the middle frame. Heard showed great patience to pull back an initial shot, allowing the traffic to clear. Heard then blasted his power play chance straight into the back of the net.
Dajon Mingo finally got Jacksonville on the board, making it a 3-1 game midway through the second period. Jimmy Lodge got the puck to the point where it was collected by Mingo. Mingo’s sent a rocket shot through some heavy traffic and right past a completely screened Callum Booth.
Less than a minute later, Lodge continued to help the Icemen build some momentum as he made it a 3-2 game. Lodge moved into the offensive zone and fired a shot from the high slot, Lodge managed to beat a stunned Callum Booth and cut the Everblades lead to just a single goal.
However, the Icemen’s momentum would be quickly stunted as Stephen MacAulay cashed in on a second chance opportunity to give the Everblades a 4-2 lead late in the second period. Following an absolutely stellar stop from Lotz, the loose puck would fall right to MacAulay’s stick. With the net now exposed, MacAulay wasted no time flipping his chance into the net.
In the third period, the Everblades would take full control of the contest. Playing extremely good at the defensive end of the ice, the Everblades would keep Jacksonville off the scoreboard for the entire third period. Adding an empty net tally from John McCarron late in the contest, the Everblades would cruise to a major 5-2 victory.
Callum Booth made some huge saves in goal for the Everblades Friday night and earns the win after stopping 24 of the 26 shots he faced. Austin Lotz suffered the loss in goal for Jacksonville after allowing four goals on 27 shots.
The Florida Everblades will once again faceoff against the rival Jacksonville Icemen Saturday night at the Veterans Memorial Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
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