ORLANDO, FLA – On the scoreboard page of the ECHL website, it shows that the Gwinnett Gladiators defeated the Orlando Solar Bears 4-3 in a shootout Friday night at the Amway Center in front of a crowd of 7,724. What it does not say however is that maybe just maybe the Solar Bears are turning a corner.
Johnny McInnis sent Friday night’s game into overtime with a late goal (Photo courtesy of F. Medina & G. Bassing/Orlando Solar Bears)
A closer look at the boxscore shows that the Solar Bears needed a big third period comeback to even get the game into overtime let alone the shootout. It also does not show the passion and effort that went into getting there. Yes it was Orlando’s sixth straight loss at home but there was something positive in it.
“[We were] playing with some emotion and some urgency and [they] upped their physicality. That stuff translates through the bench and then you play like you’re playing to win,” Orlando head coach Vince Williams said about his troops. “It was great to see us take it to a different level. The amount of emotion and passion was probably the first time we’ve seen that in a while which is obviously a good sign.”
Taking on the East division’s last-place team, the Solar Bears (25-20-4-2, 56 points) gave goalie Garret Sparks the night off as Williams inserted newly acquired netminder Joe Howe between the pipes to face former Orlando backup goalie Kent Patterson who started for Gwinnett. Things did not get off to a good start for Howe when J.P. Labardo squeezed a shot from a bad angle between the goalie’s pads just 3:09 into the contest for the first score of the night.
It took Orlando more than six minutes to record its first shot on Patterson an the Gladiators (17-32-3-2, 39 points) were doing everything to protect their net. The home fans became restless when right after a Gwinnett power play, sniper Casey Pierro-Zabotel floated a shot from the point that surprised Howe and ended up in the back of the net to give the visitors a two goal lead on just their sixth shot of the night.
The clank of the puck hitting the crossbar on a shot by Brock Montgomery early in the second left everyone wondering if luck was not on the side of the Solar Bears again. Patterson was doing his best to make Orlando pay for trading him, especially when he robbed Stefan Dell Rovere on a point blank chance. Unfortunately for Patterson, he injured himself on the play and had to leave, forcing Gwinnett coach Andy Brandt to insert backup Mark Guggenberger into the game.
Despite coming in cold, Guggenberger held his own with several big saves. His teammates rewarded him at the 11:54 mark when Sean Berkstresser was left wide open and turned a pass from Geoff Paukovich into a score that gave the Gladiators a 3-0 lead.
Whatever went on in the Orlando locker room during the second intermission, it worked. The Solar Bears came out determined to get back into the contest and they did. Denver Manderson began the comeback at the 3:12 mark of the third when he collected a loose puck out of a scramble and fired a short side shot past Guggenberger. Seconds later, Gwinnett committed a penalty and the ensuing Orlando power play clicked when Peter Sivak fed Manderson who ripped a shot between the goalie’s arm and body for his fifteenth of the season.
“I think the encouraging thing is that we saw a bit of desperation. It’s getting to that time of the year when every period matters,” Manderson said about the determination Orlando showed. “It’s encouraging the way we came out in the third [period].”
The Solar Bears continued to press for the tying goal, putting an incredible amount of pressure on the Gladiators defense. It finally paid off when Johnny McInnis cleaned up the rebound of a Manderson shot by lifting it over a prone Guggenberger with 1:55 left in regulation.
Orlando controlled play in the overtime but Guggenberger (31 saves) held the home team off the scoreboard and forcing the shootout. Brenden Walker beat Howe in round three but Montgomery lasered a shot past Guggenberger’s catching glove in round four to even things up. The shootout went to a sudden death extra round where Dylan Smoskowitz to give Gwinnett the advantage. Guggenberger then closed things out by forcing Orlando’s Patrick Watling to shoot wide, giving the Gladiators the extra point.
When asked how the team could get itself into playing a full sixty minutes, Manderson said the key is coming out ready to go.
“I think we just [have to] come ready to play tomorrow,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do about the games that have passed. I think we need to focus on having a better start tomorrow and playing with the lead.”
Orlando will finish its two-game weekend set with Gwinnett Saturday night at the Amway Center. Start time for the game is 8 pm.
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