BLADES DOUBLE UP SOLAR BEARS

ORLANDO, Fla. –  The Florida Everblades spotted the Orlando Solar Bears a pair of first-period goals, but four unanswered goals including three markers in the third period proved to be the difference in a complete 4-2 victory over the Orlando Solar Bears Saturday night at Kia Center.

The Everblades dominated puck possession throughout most of the first period, but it was Orlando that emerged with a 2-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes. Brayden Low found the net at 3:19 of the opening stanza, converting the Solar Bears’ first shot of the contest. Alex Frye doubled the home team’s lead at 13:52, scoring from heavy traffic in front of the Everblades’ net with just two seconds remaining in Orlando’s first power-play shift of the night. Despite trailing by a pair, the Blades won the first period shot battle 14-7.

Kade Landry got the Everblades on the board at 11:36 of the middle period. The defenseman took a pass from Jesse Lansdell, carried the puck from his own blue line, weaved through the Orlando defense and buried his second goal of the season to cut the home team’s lead to 2-1. The Blades continued dominating the shot battle, claiming a 13-4 edge in the second frame to pull ahead 27-11 after 40 minutes.

With the comeback underway, Isaac Nurse opened a big third period for the Everblades, tying the game with at the 5:41 mark with his 10^th goal of the season, finishing off a three-on-two rush that tied the game at 2-2. Later in the third, Tarun Fizer snapped the deadlock with a power-play goal at 14:54, putting the Everblades on top 3-2, while Blades captain Oliver Chau closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal, his 19^th tally of the season, in the final seconds.

Florida used an 11-4 advantage in shots on goal in the third period to end the game with a huge 35-18 edge in the shot department. Cam Johnson stopped 13 shots and earned the victory in goal for the Everblades.

The four-game road trip continues next week with three games in three days, beginning with a single contest Wednesday night in Greenville at 7:05 p.m. Following the mid-week tilt against the Swamp Rabbits, the Everblades will visit the Savannah Ghost Pirates for a pair on Thursday and Friday, with puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 respectively. The Blades will open a three-game homestand at Hertz Arena on Wednesday, March 26 versus the Jacksonville Icemen at 7:30 p.m.  Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

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BLADES BITS

With the victory, the Everblades closed out the season series with Orlando and posted an 8-2-3 edge in the 13-game set. Saturday’s victory snapped a five-game string of games between the rivals that required overtime.

Carson Gicewicz’s assist on Tarun Fizer’s game-winning goal extended his point streak to five games (2G, 3A). 

Speaking of assists, Kyle Neuber’s helper on Isaac Nurse’s game-tying goal was the scrappy veteran’s first point of the season.

Saturday’s game was the third straight contest in which the Everblades took outshot the opposition by 20 or more. In those three games, Florida more than doubled up their opponents, claiming  a 123-60 advantage in the SOG department.

The Everblades kept pace with South Carolina, a 3-1 winner over Atlanta, to remain in second place, just one point behind the Stingrays for the top spot in the South Division. Both teams have 11 regular-season games remaining, but do no square off until a potential matchup in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Saturday Night’s Scoresheet 

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