GREENVILLE, SC – It may not have been the defensive game that Orlando Solar Bears head coach Anthony Noreen might have wanted but he did learn one thing Tuesday night: his team has enough firepower to outscore most ECHL opponents.
T.J. Foster scored the overtime winner for the Solar Bears Tuesday night (File photo courtesy of F. Medina & G. Bassing/Orlando Solar Bears)
Led by Eric Faille’s two goals and a never-give-up attitude, the Solar Bears (7-3-1-1, 16 points) outgunned the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (5-8-1-0, 11 points) 5-4 in overtime at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. T.J. Foster was the ultimate hero, scoring the game-winning goal 2:38 into the extra period.
The fact that Orlando was even involved in its third consecutive overtime/shootout affair was both amazing and disconcerting considering the fact that the Solar Bears held three goal leads twice in the contest. Still, the visitors found a way to pick up their second win in three games (and at least a point in all three) on their current five-game road trip.
Looking for a fast start out of the gate, Coach Noreen saw his troops get a big jump on the host Swamp Rabbits in the opening period. It started 3:57 in when Brady Vail nailed a one-time blast from the right circle during a power play for his fifth goal of the season to put Orlando in front. A little over two minutes later, a Greenville turnover in its defensive zone was quickly turned into the visitors’ second tally as Jake Rodewald found the back of the net behind goalie Allen York for his third goal of the year.
Just before the midpoint of the frame, Faille made a brilliant curl and drag move to get past the defense and lit the goal light for his fifth of the season and a three goal cushion. Faille’s score came on Orlando’s eighth shot of the period.
Greenville answered back at the 11:25 mark when Kodie Curran and Richard Nejezchleb helped set up Michael St. Croix who tucked the puck under Orlando goalie Rob Madore to trim the margin to 3-1. A late Solar Bears power play restored the three-goal margin when Faille did his best Steven Stamkos impersonation, going to one knee as he drove a shot off a pass from Foster into the back of the net.
The Solar Bears survived 28 seconds of five-on-three power play time for the Swamp Rabbits at the start of the second period but the advantage energized the home team. Josh Nicholls was able to scoop a shot up and over Madore 2:29 into the frame to cut the lead in half and get the announced home crowd of 2,007 involved.
Greenville had an opportunity to draw closer when Orlando’s Lindsay Sparks was called for a double minor for spearing. Although they did not score, the Swamp Rabbits kept the pressure on the Solar Bears and Madore who picked up where he left off from Saturday’s win at South Carolina. Madore’s luck ran out late in the stanza when Scott Fleming scored two goals in the span of 20 seconds to even the score before the second intermission.
Noreen clearly had to rally the troops and with the help of his special teams got the job done. The power play clicked for the third time in the contest at the 3:20 mark when defenseman Max Nicastro launched a bomb from the point that missed the net. The puck hit the boards and somehow bounced back to the front of the net where it hit goalie Jeff Malcolm, who had replaced York at the start of the second period, and went in.
The lead lasted all of minute and a half before a failed defensive zone exit became a turnover. Greenville’s Nicholls eventually set up Ryan Rashid who beat Madore to once again knot the score.
Both teams let loose with a barrage of shots down the stretch and the squads combined for 25 shots in the period. Neither Madore (44 saves) nor Malcolm (16 saves in relief) were willing to give in, sending the game to free hockey.
In the three-on-three extra period, Orlando defenseman Eric Baier and Vail worked the puck deep into the Greenville end while a player change had Foster coming in late. Vail threaded a pass to Foster who went five-hole on Malcolm for his third goal of the season and the game-winner.
The Solar Bears special teams were excellent in the game. The power play connected three times in four opportunities while the penalty kill was perfect, stopping the Swamp Rabbits on all four of their chances. Orlando has now killed off eleven straight opposition man advantage opportunities to start the road trip.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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