ESTERO, FLA – Milestone statistics in hockey are usually reserved for the elite players. However, coaches and other staff can, based on longevity, hit benchmark numbers that are as much a product of the players who play for them as well as the success produced.
Wednesday night at Hertz Arena, Orlando Solar Bears Head Coach and General Manager Drake Berehowsky hit one of those milestones thanks in large part to the effort of his players.
Tyler Bird and Aaron Luchuk both scored goals in the final 2:16 of regulation, eliminating a one-goal deficit to give the Solar Bears (4-2-1-0) a thrilling 3-2 win over the Florida Everblades (4-2-0-1) in front of an announced crowd of 3,783. The win was Berehowsky’s 200th career victory as a head coach – all of them coming in the City Beautiful.
Ian Parker netted his second goal of the season and goalie Brad Barone, getting his second start in as many nights, made 42 saves on 44 Florida shots – a count that included 22 in the third period – to contribute to the milestone win. Defenseman Luke McInnis chipped in with a pair of assists, the most important coming on the game-winner by Luchuk with 15.6 seconds left on the clock.
In his seventh season, Berehowsky has been behind the bench for 418 contests and now 200 wins. His record of 200-173-45 puts him atop every list in the ECHL history of the Solar Bears franchise. The fact that it came against the Everblades, the team that has bedeviled the Orlando franchise for years, made it that much more enjoyable.
Following a fairly non-descript first period that had no goals and a combined 20 shots on net (9 by Orlando, 11 by Florida), the middle frame seemed to be headed in the same direction. That is until the 11:51 mark when the Solar Bears netted the first goal of the night. It came when Ian Parker got the puck behind the Everblades net and tucked a wraparound past goalie Tomas Vomacka for his second goal of the season. Parker’s tally, assisted by McInnis and Nick Bligh, ended up being the lone score of the first 40 minutes of play.
Florida finally got on the scoreboard on a power play early in the third. Robert Carpenter scored his third of the year off of assists from Levko Koper and Blake Winiecki, tying the contest at 1-1 with just under 15 minutes left in regulation.
A little over six minutes later at 11:40, Koper netted his third with a backhander from the slot following an offensive zone faceoff. Assisted by Chris McKay and Cameron Bakker, the goal put Florida up 2-1 with time starting to favor the home team.
With just over four minutes to go, Florida’s McKay was whistled for slashing, providing Orlando with its second man advantage of the night. It took almost all of the two minutes but the Solar Bears made the Everblades pay. Luke Boka won an offensive zone faceoff into the slot area right to Bird. Bird wasted no time in blasting a shot past Vomacka’s glove side for his second in as many nights, evening the scoreboard at 2-2.
Then with less than a minute left, Luchuk played hero. McInnis did a lot of the work, taking a feed at the right point from Luchuk and going for a skate across the blueline and down the far boards. He started to head around the net but saw a passing lane to the opposite faceoff circle where Luchuk had set up residence. McInnis threaded a pass between a sea of legs to Luchuk who put everything he had into a shot that settled into the back of the net for his sixth of the season.
The Everblades came close in the final seconds, ringing a shot off the post but it stayed out giving Orlando the win and a celebration for their coach.
The Solar Bears continue their road trip Friday night when they head north to Jacksonville to take on the Icemen.
Notes: Final shots were 44-31 in favor of Orlando… The Solar Bears went 1-for-2 on the power play while the Everblades went 1-for-3… Luchuk’s goal extended his points streak to seven games and his 14 points continue to lead the ECHL in scoring… The win was the first for Orlando away from home this season… Barone’s 42 saves matched his career high earned when he was with Rapid City in April of last season.
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