Blades Face Bears in First Official Match Since South Division Finals

ESTERO, Fla. – After a three-game road trip the Florida Everblades return to The Swamp to face their in-state rival, the Orlando Solar Bears tonight, November 8, at  7:30 p.m. Fresh off an intense overtime win against the South Carolina Stingrays, the Blades look to keep their momentum alive in the two-game series with a game two puck drop set for Saturday, November 9, at 7 p.m. 

In their most recent game against the Stingrays, the Blades came back from a one-goal third-period deficit to tie the game and win it in overtime. With just 1:16 left in regulation, Alex Kile netted his first goal of the season to even the score and give Colin Theisen the space to claim the game with a wrist shot less than a minute into overtime. 

Pushing their record to 5-1-0 on the season, Will Cranley stood strong in the pipes turning away 35 shots and securing his second win in his second game as an Everblade. 

Momentum will also be present this weekend against the Solar Bears having defeated them in a 4-1 preseason victory with Carson Gicewicz, Logan Lambdin, Santino Centorame, and Jesse Lansdell each finding the back of the net along with a collective 46-shot effort over Orlando’s 27. 

Aside from preseason, this weekend marks the first official faceoff between the two teams since the Blades’ 2-1 victory in Game Five of the South Division Finals, which ended Orlando's hopes of being the 2023-24 Kelly Cup Champions. Last season, the Solar Bears finished ninth in overall league standings, ranking first in penalty killing and 28th on the power play, while the Blades ranked second in penalty killing, 14th on the power play and eighth overall. 

With back-to-back games this weekend in The Swamp, the Blades look to open the scoring at 7:30 p.m. tonight, to set the tone for a familiar display of Everblades hockey before a packed crowd at Hertz Arena. 

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