JACKSONVILLE, FLA – Less than a week ago, Dylan Sadowy found himself on the outside looking in as the ECHL was heading into its second month of play. Under contract to the AHL’s Utica Comets and having played for the Kalamazoo Wings last season, he had no place to play as the 2020-21 season began. A phone call and a few days later, he was back on the ice and playing a huge role.
Sadowy’s goal in round one of a three-round shootout proved to be the winning tally as the Orlando Solar Bears (6-4-0-0) defeated the host Jacksonville Icemen (4-6-1-1) by a final of 4-3 in front of a COVID-restricted crowd of 3,608 at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Solar Bears goalie Garret Sparks, just back from a loan to the NHL’s Calgary Flames and AHL’s Stockton Heat, turned away 32 of 35 Icemen shots for his second win with Orlando this season.
Sadowy’s game-winner came on a shot from the right circle on the very first shot of the shootout. He beat Jacksonville netminder Eamon McAdam, who himself stood tall with 32 saves, and then watched as Sparks stared down Nick Saracino, Wacey Rabbit and Jeff Taylor to give the Solar Bears the victory.
Playing without four pretty important cogs – Peter Abbandonato, Ryan Lohin, Devante Stephens and Clint Windsor, all of whome were recalled by the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch for the start of its training camp – Orlando was working with a short bench and starting Sparks, who had not seen game action since being loaned to Calgary in late December.
They were also taking on a Jacksonville team that was coming off an inspiring win over the Florida Everblades on Wednesday in southwest Florida. The Icemen had additional incentive to play hard as new minority owner and local and state football legend Tim Tebow was on hand to keynote the team’s “Faith and Family Night”.
The energy coarsing through the Icemen paid off early in the first period when they capitalized on an Orlando penalty. Just eight seconds after the Solar Bears’ Alex Kuqali was sent to the penalty box, Saracino got loose in front, took a feed from Rabbit and fired the puck past Sparks for his fourth of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Late in the period, the visitors from the City Beautiful came up with an answer. It came off the stick of Taylor Cammarata, who had yet to find the back of the net thus far in the season. He positioned himself in front of McAdam and redirected a shot by Mark Auk from the point past the goalie for his first goal of the season and a 1-1 tie heading to the middle frame.
Sparks and McAdam took over the show for much of the second stanza, trading save for save. There was only one tally in the period and it went in favor of the home team. Ara Nazarian knocked down an attempted zone-clearing pass by Orlando and quickly got the puck down to Pascal Aquin down near the net. Before the Solar Bears defense could respond, Aquin found the back of the net for his second goal of the season – both of them coming at the expense of Orlando – to give his team its second lead of the night.
Sparks kept his team in front, making a big save on a late period short-handed chance by Jacksonville’s Rabbit before his teammates pressured the Icemen in the final minute. McAdam did some of his best work in that sequence to keep Orlando off the board and sending his team to the intermission up 2-1.
The Solar Bears seemed to pick up some momentum early in the third when they killed off a Jacksonville power play. Two minutes after the successful kill, Orlando was able to tie the game when a shot by Tad Kozun thru traffic was redirected past McAdam by Tyler Bird. It was Bird’s second tally of the year but more importantly he and his teammates had pulled even.
Just over seven minutes later, the Solar Bears took their first lead of the contest. Once again Kozun was in the middle of things as a pass/shot he took bounced to Jerry D’Amigo who then put a backhander into the cage for his first goal as a member of the Solar Bears. It put Orlando up 3-2 with less than five minutes to go.
Training for the first time all night, the Icemen quickly came back and evened things up. Just 21 seconds after D’Amigo’s score, Saracino put the puck to the net and Jared VanWormer banged it home from in tight for his third of the season and a 3-3 deadlock that continued through the rest of regulation time.
In overtime, both teams had chances. Orlando’s best opportunity came when Aaron Luchuk beat McAdam but the post denied him a game-winning score. Moments later, a too many men on the ice penalty to the Solar Bears gave Jacksonville a golden opportunity to come away with the extra point but Sparks and his teammates said no.
The scoreless seven extra minutes led to the shootout where Sparks denied Saracino on the opening shot. Following Sadowy’s score, Sparks forced a shot wide by Rabbit and then stopped Taylor to secure the win.
The Solar Bears headed home after the game to get ready for a double dip against the Everblades. Florida will be at the Amway Center in Orlando for a game Saturday night at 7 p.m. and a Sunday afternoon matinee at 3 p.m. Jacksonville is off until Sunday when they visit Greenville at 3:05 p.m. and Monday when they play a holiday afternoon game at South Carolina at 1:05 p.m. They return home to host Florida for three games on January 22nd, 23rd and 24th at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.
Notes: Final shots were 36-35 in favor of Orlando…The Solar Bears were 0-for-2 on the power play while the Icemen went 1-for-4… Orlando’s last road shootout win came on March 23, 2019 when they defeated the Florida Everblades. Former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Troy Bourke had the winner that night… Jacksonville is 0-1-0-1 in games going beyond sixty minutes this season. Both losses have been to Orlando… The Solar Bears Kozun had three assists in the game… Sparks’ win was his 28th as a member of the Solar Bears, moving him past John Curry for second on the franchise’s all-time list.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
Follow us on Twitter @prohockeynews
You must be logged in to post a comment.