NORFOLK, VA – Despite another day of roster fluctuations, the Orlando Solar Bears played the first period of Friday night’s game against the Norfolk Admirals as if their lives depended on it. The Solar Bears piled on four goals, the biggest individual output for one period so far this season, and held a lead heading to the remaining forty minutes.
And then they watched it slip away, eventually turning a potential win into an agonizing loss.
Darien Craighead’s power play goal 4:08 into overtime provided the winning margin as the Admirals (5-2-0-0) won their fourth straight game with a 6-5 victory over Orlando (2-2-1-0) in front of an announced crowd of 3,970 at the Norfolk Scope. Noah Corson (2 goals, assist) and Karl El-Mir (3 assists) led the scoring parade for Norfolk as eleven Admirals picked up at least one point in the contest.
The Solar Bears were once again led on the scoresheet by Aaron Luchuk, who picked up a goal and two assists to pad his lead in the points race (5 goals, 7 assists). However, Luchuk also took an elbowing penalty in the extra frame that led directly to Craighead’s man-advantage winner.
Friday’s roster dance for Orlando Head Coach and General Manager Drake Berehowsky started with the final San Jose affiliated player, Krystof Hrabik, being recalled to the west coast. It put the Solar Bears down to eight forwards and five defensemen. Berehowsky made a pair of moves, getting Logan Fredericks on loan from the SPHL Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs and signing Canon Pieper, who had been cut by the Iowa Heartlanders after playing two games with the ECHL expansion team.
Goalie Alex Dubeau, who was signed by the Solar Bears earlier in the week, got the start in net. He unfortunately was dinged on the second shot he faced when Corson, son for former NHLer Shayne Corson, deflected a shot by Chris Ordoobodi home for his second goal of the season.
From that point to the end of the first period, the Solar Bears controlled the scoreboard. Even though Norfolk outshot Orlando 16-12, the visitors got their money’s worth by scoring four times. It began when Luchuk set up blueliner Luke McInnis for a blast that beat Admirals starting goalie Dylan Wells at the 7:03 mark for his first of the year. Just over three minutes later, Pieper netted his first career ECHL goal when he banked in the rebound of a shot by Chad Duchesne.
Orlando wasn’t done just yet. At the 17:19 mark during a four-on-four sequence, McInnis fed a pass to Andrew McLean who in turn set up Luchuk to rifle a shot past Wells’ catching glove for his fifth tally. McLean’s helper was a milestone as it was his first ECHL point. Then in the final minute, rookie Luke Boka, whose brother Nick won a Kelly Cup with Fort Wayne last season, converted the rebound of a Dylan Fitze shot for his initial goal in the ECHL and giving Orlando a 4-1 lead after one.
Norfolk began its comeback early in the second period. It took just 1:49 off the clock for the Admirals to trim the deficit from 4-1 to 4-3. Alex Berardinelli netted his first of the season, whistling home the rebound of Anthony Collins’ attempt past Dubeau’s blocker glove at 1:40. Then at 1:49, Dubeau made a save but his defensemen didn’t get the rebound cleared, setting up Anthony Gagnon for his second to trim the Solar Bears lead to one.
The visitors responded five minutes later on the power play. Luchuk fed Michael Brodzinski at the point. Brodzinski shot the puck and rookie Ian Parker redirected it past Beck Warm, who had replaced Wells between the pipes at the start of the stanza, for his first professional tally.
Late in the frame, the home team struck once more. Corson picked up his second of the night and season, converting a rebound from a Gagnon shot at 16:53, sending the teams to the final twenty minutes separated by just one score at 5-4 in favor of Orlando.
Each side had a man advantage opportunity in the opening seven minutes but neither was able to take advantage. Then just past the midpoint of the period, the Admirals tied the game up. El-Mir cut his way into the Orlando end and stopped, He fed the puck to Carter Robertson who used a defender as a screen and beat Dubeau for his first of the year to make it 5-5. It was the only goal of the period, meaning that the outcome would be decided in extra time or a shootout.
Orlando had the first two shots of overtime but Warm (18 saves on 19 shots faced) stopped them both. At the 2:40 mark, Luchuk took what was a highly uncharacteristic penalty for him to give the Admirals a power play. Norfolk was patient, working the puck around to Eric Williams at the top of the faceoff circle to Dubeau’s left. Williams fed Craighead who one-timed a blast from the faceoff dot to the goalie’s right that found the back of the net for his third of the year and the win.
Dubeau deserved a better fate, stopping 37 of Norfolk’s 43 shots on net but taking the loss.
The Solar Bears are off until Tuesday, November 9th when Jacksonville returns to the Amway Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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