JACKSONVILLE, FLA – In the back half of a home-and-home, the Orlando Solar Bears traveled to Jacksonville to play the Icemen in the third of nine games the two teams will play this regular season. Orlando has won the two previous meetings between the clubs, a 5-4 OT win on Jacksonville’s opening night and a 4-1 win Tuesday night.
When the ice chips settled, it was the host Icemen who prevailed 4-3 in overtime.
Both teams started different goalies than had played the night before. Colton Phinney got his second start of the season for Jacksonville while MacKenzie Skapski started for Orlando. Scratched for Jacksonville was their leading scorer, rookie Alexandre Goulet.
Jacksonville took a 1-0 lead when Dajon Mingo’s shot bounced off the leg of Orlando’s Jeff King right onto the stick of the Icemen’s Scott Savage. Savage then beat Skapski with a shot to the goalie’s stick side. It was Savage’s second of the season. Brendan Collier was awarded the second assist on the score.
Collier would then get his first goal of the season when he deflected Christopher Dienes’ shot in front of the net. The puck went between Skapski’s legs, barely crossing the line. The second assist was awarded to Tyson Fawcett.
There was no more scoring after that in the first period. Jacksonville outshot Orlando for the period 12-11. Jacksonville had nine minutes in penalties and Orlando seven. Most of the penalties came from a fight between Cameron Critchlow of Jacksonville and Sam Jardine of Orlando. Critchlow got the extra two for charging at Jardine to start the fight.
Jacksonville went out to a 3-0 lead 2:02 into the second period when Garet Hunt’s shot from against the boards at the goal line was deflected by Skapski right onto the stick of Jimmy Lodge. Lodge basically had an open net to shoot at for his second goal of the season. Savage got the secondary assist on the play.
One minute and 15 seconds later, Orlando scored for the first time when two Icemen players could not clear a rebound in front of the net. The puck ended up on the stick of Orlando’s J.J. Piccinich, who beat Phinney high to the glove side for his fifth of the season. The only assist went to Logan Nelson.
Orlando would then pull within one with 2:45 left in the second when Jacksonville’s shot out of the zone went right onto the stick of Joshua Winquist, who quickly set up a 3-on-2 for the Solar Bears. J.C. Campagna ended up with the puck and beat Phinney on the glove side.
In the second period, Jacksonville again outshot Orlando, this time 16-7 and after two, had outshot Orlando 28-18. Only two minutes in penalties were called in the second, that being a slashing call on Orlando’s Jardine.
The third period saw an apparent goal at the 4:57 mark by Jacksonville waived off because, apparently again, the referee had lost sight of the puck and blown the play dead.
Jacksonville’s Dienes received a four-minute high sticking penalty when he caught Piccinich high, drawing blood at 6:23. Orlando protested, trying to get a 5-minute major but the referee only gave a double minor.
Orlando took advantage of the power play, scoring thirteen seconds in when Max Novak recorded his fifth of the season, off assists from Winquist and Nolan Valleau.
Orlando nearly took the lead at 12:30 of the period when a shot by Piccinich beat Phinney but hit the post.
There would be no more scoring in the period and for the second time in two meetings this season in Jacksonville, the Solar Bears and Icemen went to overtime. Jacksonville outshot 12-10 in the third and held a 38-29 advantage after three. Jacksonville had four minutes in penalties in the third, Orlando two.
In an overtime period that saw good chances for both teams, Jacksonville got the game winner with 1:27 left when Lodge, firing from between the two face-off circles, beat Skapski with a wrister to the glove side to give the Icemen the 4-3 OT win.
Jacksonville had three shots in the overtime while Orlando recorded two. No penalties were called.
Icechips: Jacksonville ended up outshooting Orlando in the game 41-31… Jacksonville had 13 penalty minutes, Orlando 11… Orlando went 1-for-4 on the power play while Jacksonville was 0-for-3… Jacksonville now has a record of 2-3-1 at home. Orlando’s road record fell to 3-3-1… Attendance for the game was 4,463… All three stars of the game came from Jacksonville. First star was Jimmy Lodge, second was Brendan Collier and third was Scott Savage…Jacksonville’s next game is Friday night at home when they start a home-and-home series with the Atlanta Gladiators. Orlando’s next game is at home Saturday against South Carolina, who they will also play host to on Sunday.
Contact the author at kenneth.holdren@prohockeynews.com
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