Jacksonville Icemen hold off Orlando Solar Bears, gain ground in division race
The Jacksonville Icemen defeated the Orlando Solar Bears in ECHL hockey on Thursday, March 28, 2024. The Jacksonville Icemen defeated the Orlando Solar Bears 5-4 in a ECHL hockey match at the Kia Center, with Luc Brown scoring the opening goal of the game. The win keeps the Icemen within four points of the first-place Greenville Swamp Rabbits and keeps them in the division race. Other notable goals were scored by Riley Fiddler-Schultz on his return from the American Hockey League, Alex Frye and Aaron Luchuk, and Chris Grando for Jacksonville. The game was marked by 10-minute misconduct penalties from the Solar Bears, with both Kelly Bent and Tyler Bird receiving 10-minutes.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Jacksonville Florida Times-Union in Sports
Turning point: Luc Brown scored the opening goal at 5:40 of the first period, pushing the Jacksonville Icemen in front on their way to a 5-4 victory over the host Orlando Solar Bears in Thursday's ECHL hockey at the Kia Center.
Three stars: 1. Luc Brown, Jacksonville (one goal). 2. Alex Frye, Orlando (two goals). 3. Chris Grando, Jacksonville (one goal, two assists).
Penalty box: Riley Fiddler-Schultz scored a power play goal for the Icemen on his return from the American Hockey League. ... Kelly Bent and Tyler Bird both incurred 10-minute misconduct penalties for the Solar Bears ().
Around the rink: Frye and Aaron Luchuk scored only 56 seconds apart as Orlando threatened late to overcome a three-goal deficit, but Matt Vernon stopped 35 shots to preserve the win for second-place Jacksonville. ... Logan Cockerill and Olivier Nadeau also scored for the Icemen, and team captain Christopher Brown collected two assists. ... Evan Fitzpatrick made 33 saves for the Solar Bears. ... Along with Fiddler-Schultz, Brendan Harris also returned from the AHL prior to Thursday's game. ... The win kept the Icemen within four points of the first-place Greenville Swamp Rabbits, who beat the Savannah Ghost Pirates in overtime on Thursday.
Up next: Following Friday night's game in Estero, the Icemen remain in the southwest corner of the state for a 7 p.m. Saturday game at the Florida Everblades.
Topics: NHL