ESTERO, FL – Saturday night in Estero, the Jacksonville IceMen finished their short three game road trip with the second of a two-game set against the Florida Everblades. Jacksonville entered the game with a 4-13-2-1 record while Florida brings their league leading record of 17-2-1-2 into the game.
Austin Lotz (0-2) started his third consecutive game for the Icemen since being signed by the team Tuesday while Martin Ouellette (9-1-0-1) got the start for Florida. The contest was the fourth meeting of the season between the two clubs with Florida winning the previous three.
Florida opened the scoring in the first period. Quentin Shore scored his second of the season on the power play. Shore scored his goal on a rebound just as the power play was ending for the Everblades. Assists went to Mitchell Heard who put the puck on net and Clark Seymour who banged a shot off the boards that found its way to the front of the net at the 8:47 mark.
At 17:47 of the first, Jacksonville tied the game when Christopher Dienes recorded his third of the season, off assists from Christiano DiGiacinto and Elgin Pearce. Dienes fired a shot from the point that found its way through traffic into the upper part of the net.
There would be no more scoring in the first, with the game tied at 1-1. Jacksonville outshot Florida in the first 10-5, while Florida recorded 14 minutes in penalty – 10 coming on a misconduct given to Mitchell Heard – and 4 to Jacksonville.
The second period would find Jacksonville taking the lead, as Elgin Pearce recorded his sixth of the season, off assists from Everett Clark and Dylan Blujus at 3:05. The goal came as the teams were playing four-on-four hockey as Pearce whipped a shot past Ouellette’s catching glove.
That lead would stand till the 13:05 mark of the period, when Justin Kea’s fifth of the season tied the game at 2. It came at the end of an odd-man rush when Kea cleaned up the rebound of a shot by Brett Bulmer. The secondary assist on the score went to  went to Tyler Ganly.
The teams failed to add any more scoring in the frame, sending the contest to the third period even at two. Jacksonville once again outshot Florida for the period, this time by a 11-10 margin. After two, the Icemen had a 21-15 advantage. Florida had two minors called on them in the second, Jacksonville one.
The teams then settled into a defensive struggle that saw no scoring in the third or overtime periods. Jacksonville would record 10 shots in the third and one in the overtime for a game total of 32. Florida had eight in the third and one in overtime for a game total of 25.
The regulation three rounds of the shootout did not provide a winner but the first extra stanza did when Florida’s Stephan MacAulay beat Lotz on a forehand-backhand-forehand move and a shot between the goalie’s legs to give the Everblades a 3-2 win.
Icechips: For the game, Florida had 22 minutes in penalties, Jacksonville had eight… The announced attendance for the game was 7,554… The Icemen return home Wednesday night as the Manchester Monarchs make their only visit to Jacksonville this season… Florida’s six game home stand continues Wednesday with the first of three meetings over the next four days with the South Carolina Stingrays.
Contact the author at kenneth.holdren@prohockeynews.com
Follow us on Twitter @prohockeynews
You must be logged in to post a comment.