DULUTH, GA – The number of shots on net allowed by the Orlando Solar Bears defense has been of some concern of late as goalie Garret Sparks has seen more rubber than a tire dealership. Tuesday night on the road, the defense returned in a big way.
Behind goals from Eric Baier, Brady Vail and David Broll, the visiting Solar Bears defeated the Gwinnett Gladiators 3-1 in front of an announced crowd of 2,501 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The offense was more than enough for Sparks, who stopped 27 of 28 shots to push Orlando in sole possession of fifth place in the ECHL’s East division.
Coming off of Friday’s shutout win over South Carolina, Sparks ran his whitewash streak to 118:24 before Gwinnett scored early in the third period. The win ran his record to 5-1 in his last six starts while dropping his season goals against average to 2.59 and raising his save percentage to .931.
Despite Sparks’ assertion that he likes to face a lot of shots, Orlando head coach Vince Williams and assistant coach Danny Brooks have been trying to get the defense to tighten up and allow fewer pucks to get to the net. For the first time in a while, the Solar Bears (21-15-3-0, 45 points) were able to create offense from the opening faceoff that kept the Gladiators (18-24-2-1, 33 points) off balance and away from Sparks.
Baier opened the scoring just 2:45 into the contest, beating former Solar Bears goalie Kent Patterson for his fifth tally of the season. The play started with Brett Findlay chasing down the puck in the Gwinnett end and passing it to Jake Cepis. Cepis followed with a cross-ice pass to Baier who put his shot over Patterson’s shoulder and into the net.
Patterson, who had more than his fair share of fans in Orlando before being traded last month, settled in and blanked the Solar Bears for the rest of the period. He made 19 saves in the stanza but Sparks made all nine saves he had to make to send the visitors to the first intermission up 1-0.
The Solar Bears took even less time to get on the scoreboard in the second than in the first. Cepis was again in the middle of things, taking a pass from John McInnis and then laying a perfect drop pass to Brady Vail. With McInnis providing a screen in front, Vail let go a wrist shot that tickled the twine only 2:17 into the period to double the lead.
Staked to the two goal lead, Sparks continued to keep Gwinnett off the board. He did catch a break when a Casey Pierro-Zabotel shot hit the post and stayed out but that was the closest the Gladiators came to a score in the middle frame. As a group, the Solar Bears defense held their hosts to 19 shots through the first forty minutes which made Sparks’ job easier.
The Gladiators finally found a way to beat Sparks early in the final period. Just 1:21 in, Garry Nunn circled behind the Orlando net and sent a pass out to C.J. Chartrain. Chartrain wasted no time in teeing up a one-time shot that went up and over Sparks’ shoulder and into the top corner of the net.
Even though the defense was holding Gwinnett’s offense in check, the now one goal lead felt a bit tenuous. Sparks kept the Solar Bears in front with a sparkling glove save on Joe Stejskal and not too long after the offense rewarded him.
Just before the midpoint of the period, Stefan Della Rovere got the puck to Broll and the big winger did the rest. He worked his way through a couple of defenders, got Patterson to bite on a fake and then slipped the puck into the back of the net for his second goal in an Orlando uniform.
Despite the Gladiators’ best efforts to increase their offensive pressure in the closing minutes, Sparks was not ready to give up the two goal lead again. Gwinnett pulled Patterson (42 saves) with just under a minute left but Orlando’s defense held the fort to secure the victory.
The Solar Bears have Wednesday off before heading to Greenville, South Carolina to face the Road Warriors on Thursday night.
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