JACKSONVILLE, FLA – With 2:34 left in the third period of a tie game, the Orlando Solar Bears were handed a golden opportunity to put a dagger into the Jacksonville Icemen via a four-minute power play for a high sticking call on the Icemen’s Pascal Aquin. Even if they did not score before the end of the period, the Solar Bears would have almost 90 seconds of advantage time at the start of overtime to secure the extra point.
As it turned out, Orlando missed on that chance and it came back to hurt.
Aquin made good after the penalty, setting up Craig Martin for the game-winning goal 3:28 into the extra period to give the host Icemen (10-10-1-1) a 3-2 victory over Orlando (12-10-3-0) in front of a COVID-restricted crowd of 3,467 at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Saturday night. Aaron Luchuk and Tristin Langan each had a goal for the visitors while Jake Coughler picked up two assists.
The Icemen were able to hold the Solar Bears to no shots on their four-minute advantage prior to the end of regulation. In the overtime, Jacksonville goalie Kyle Keyser, who recorded 21 saves in the game, turned away four during the four-on-three power play that Orlando began the extra period with. Then Aquin and Martin combined for a two-on-one rush with Aquin saucering a pass to Martin who beat Solar Bears netminder Michael Lackey (24 saves) for the win.
Neither team was able to make a dent offensively in the opening ten minutes of the first period. Orlando got the first power play of the night with just over eight minutes remaining and made good when Luchuk hammered home the rebound of a Coughler shot for his sixth of the season and the team’s first man-advantage score since February 13th at the 12:51 mark.
It turned out to be the lone score of the frame as Lackey turned away all nine Jacksonville shots while Keyser stopped six of seven Orlando attempts.
The Icemen, wearing jerseys adorned with characters from Nickelodeon’s “Rugrats” show, struck for two quick goals in the front half of the second period to jump in front. At the 6:50 mark, Ara Nazarian got the puck to Nick Saracino in the neutral zone and Saracino did the rest. He streaked into the Orlando defensive zone and ripped a shot to the far side of the net past Lackey’s blocker glove for his eighth of the year.
Three minutes later, Mike Szmatula forced a turnover and broke out with teammate Brendan Warren on a two-on-none rush. Szmatula made a couple of fakes on Lackey then fired but the netminder made the stop. Warren jumped right in and popped the rebound over Lackey for his fifth tally of the season, putting the Icemen up 2-1 midway through the contest.
Less than two minutes later, the Solar Bears answered back. Storming into the Jacksonville end with numbers, Coughler got in tight but Keyser made the save. Coughler collected the rebound and got the puck to Michael Prapavessis who clanged a shot off the crossbar. The rebound of Prapavessis’ drive bounced into the slot where Langan scooped it home for his fifth to even the score at 2-2.
The teams played to a scoreless tie in the third period, thanks in part to Lackey who absolutely stoned Nazarian on a clean breakaway early in the frame. The Solar Bears had a power play with six minutes remaining and then got the big opportunity when Aquin was tagged for the double minor for high sticking that drew blood. Thanks to a stifling penalty kill, the Icemen survived the closing minutes and then the start of overtime before Martin netted the winner.
Orlando finished the night going 1-for-5 on the power play while Jacksonville went 0-for-4.
The two teams will conclude their weekend set Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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