READING, PA – When five-on-five play is even or in favor of the opposition, special teams can be a lifesaver for a hockey team. If the power play is working and/or the penalty killing is sharp, a team can pull victory from the jaws of defeat. Luckily for the Orlando Solar Bears, they have been blessed with both.
Brady Vail scored twice in Orlando’s win at Reading (File photo courtesy of Fernando Medina/Orlando Solar Bears)
Saturday night at the Santander Arena, the visiting Solar Bears used two special teams goals and perfect penalty killing to trump the Reading Royals 5-2 in front of an announced crowd of 2,916. Brady Vail was Orlando’s big gun in the contest, scoring two goals including a short-handed beauty in key spots to end a short two-game winless streak.
During the Solar Bears’ three game road trip to Adirondack, Elmira and Reading, the team’s penalty killers allowed just one power play goal against in 16 times short handed. Orlando’s power play was just as effective, scoring five goals in twelve opportunities. On Saturday, the man advantage went 1-for-2 while the penalty killers were successful on five of six chances.
Orlando head coach Anthony Noreen rolled the dice a bit after two straight losses (one coming in overtime) by inserting Adam Reid, Scott Tanski and Matt Rupert into the lineup replacing, Erik Bradford, Chris Clapperton and TJ Foster. Reid and Tanski were making their season debuts after sitting out the first five games as healthy scratches.
One choice that no one would question Noreen on was starting goalie Ryan Massa. The rookie netminder was solid in his first pro start a week ago and he backed it up early in the opening period by continually turning back shot after shot by the Royals (3-3-0-0, 6 points).
Massa’s play allowed the Solar Bears (4-1-1-0, 9 points) to find their game and get on the scoreboard first. With a little less than eight minutes to go in the opening frame, Patrick Watling was able to set up Brett Findlay who beat Reading goalie Martin Ouellette for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Orlando’s special teams play – which has been outstanding throughout much of the early season – kicked in in the second period. Eight minutes in, the Royals’ Justin Crandall took a hooking penalty and right off the face-off, Eric Faille put the puck on the stick of Johnny McInnis who whipped a shot into the back of the net. The power play tally was the third for McInnis in as many games and the sixth for the team in 20 chances.
With Max Nicastro in the box late in the period, Vail made his presence known. As the penalty kill wound down, Vail took a pass from Brad Richard and skated into the Reading defensive end. He pivoted away from one defender and ripped a shot past the blocker glove of Ouellette to give Orlando a three goal lead.
The lead looked very safe as Massa was turning in another great performance between the pipes. Even with Reading increasing the pressure and number of shots on net, Massa stayed composed, keeping the home team off the scoreboard into the second intermission.
Things got interesting as the Royals finally found a way to beat Massa (34 saves) in the third. Less than two minutes in, Joe Rehkamp redirected a shot by Ian Watters into the back of the net. Then with just under eleven minutes left in regulation, Findlay took two minor penalties (he also earned a ten minute misconduct) that gave Reading four minutes of power play time. Late in the second minor, Cam Reid beat Massa to bring the Royals to within one and giving the Solar Bears visions of Friday night’s loss to Elmira where they surrendered a multi-goal lead.
Vail was having none of a second straight collapse. With just over four minutes left, Vail took a perfect tape-to-tape pass from Jack Rodewald and drove it into the net for his second of the game and fifth of the season to restore a two-goal margin. Lindsay Sparks sealed the win when with Ouellette (11 saves on 15 shots) pulled, he was pulled down in the Reading end. By rule Sparks was awarded a score – his second of the year – to create the final score.
Orlando will now have some time to rest before hosting its in-state rival, the Florida Everblades, in a two-game set at the Amway Center next Saturday and Sunday.
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