PHN’s Best Shots of the Game: Icemen doubled up on by Solar Bears

JACKSONVILLE, FLA – On Sunday, March 6th, the Jacksonville Icemen hosted the Orlando Solar Bears in the second of four meetings between the two in-state rivals in a span of nine days. With the visitors from Central Florida holding a slim lead in the season series, the Icemen were looking to both even the record up as well as avenge a 1-0 loss they suffered on March 2nd. In the end, Jacksonville came up short, falling by a final of 4-2 at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

After a scoreless first period, Orlando opened the scoring with a pair of tallies in the first 3:19 of the second frame. The first goal came at the 2:51 mark when Jake Transit set up Dylan Fitze for his ninth goal of the season off of rush into the Icemen defensive zone. Seconds later on a power play, Solar Bears forward Odeen Tufto scored his sixth with a one-time blast from the top of the far side faceoff circle that beat Jacksonville netminder Francois Brassard up high.

The Icemen responded a few minutes later with a man advantage score of their own. At the 8:58 mark, Jacksonville worked the puck around the perimeter until it got to Jake Elmer on the near side boards. He slipped a pass into the slot where Craig Martin got control and fired a wrist shot past Orlando goalie Brad Barone for his 15th of the year.

In the third, the Solar Bears tacked on an insurance goal by Tristin Langan 47 into the frame. It was Langan’s 12th of the season and 53rd career tally with Orlando. Soon after, the Icemen had a goal waived off due to goalie interference – a call that was amplified when Brendan Harris converted a Solar Bears turnover into his fifth of the year to make it a 3-2 game.

Barone and the Solar Bears held onto the lead, adding an empty net goal by Tyler Bird (his 14th of the season) in the final minute to secure the win.