2001 Turner Cup championship banner unveiled before the game
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando unveiled the 2001 Turner Cup Championship Banner before the game and saw forward C.J. Severyn tally four points as Orlando took down the Trenton Titans in a 6-4 thriller in front of 8,650 fans at the Amway Center on Saturday night.
Orlando started quickly in the first period, striking just 1:04 into the game. Forward C.J. Severyn fired a pass out of the left corner and C Mathew Sisca one-timed it past G Cal Heeter to put the Solar Bears ahead 1-0 on the first shot of the contest. The lead didn't last long, as F Kevin Baker answered for the Titans at 4:33 of the frame when he rang a shot off the goal post and past G Patrick Killeen. Gained their first lead of the night at the 8:00 mark, when forward J.S. Berbue found a rebound in front of the net and flipped over Killeen to give Trenton a 2-1 advantage, which they took into the first intermission.
Not long into the second period, F Ryan Ginand struck for the Solar Bears. Ginand took a pass from F Michael Neal out of the left corner and one-timed it past Heeter 2:28 into the period to even the score at 2-2. The Titans got the goal back to reclaim the lead at 9:45 when F Mike Ullrich backhanded a rebound that just squeaked over the goal line to put Trenton back on top. With just 1:30 left to go in the middle frame, F Chris Lawrence caught a pass from F Dale Mahovsky off his skates and gathered up the puck before wristing it into the top right corner of the net and tying the game at 3-3 heading into the third.
Once again the Titans snapped the tie, as during 4-on-4 action F Kory Nagy forced a 2-on-1 rush, raced up the left wing, and fired the puck into the top right corner of the net to put Trenton ahead 4-3. Orlando answered when Severyn curled around the bottom of the right circle and slid a shot just inside the left goal post to once again knot the score for the Solar Bears, this time at 4-4. D Ryan Blair gave the Solar Bears their first lead since 4:33 into the first period when he came out of the penalty box and got a breakaway pass from Severyn. Blair's initial shot was saved by Heeter, but the rebound bounced off a Titans defenseman and into the net to put the Solar Bears ahead 5-4 with 6:23 left int the contest. C Ryan Cruthers sealed the game for Orlando and extended his points streak to seven games when he tallied an empty net goal with 33.5 seconds left to secure a 6-4 win for the Solar Bears.
Three Stars: 1. C. Severyn (ORL); 2. R. Blair (ORL); 3. R. Cruthers (ORL)Power Plays: ORL: 0/3; TRE: 0/7Shots: ORL: 34; TRE: 33
Notes:Tonight's game marked the second meeting between Orlando and Trenton this season. They will meet one final time in Trenton on March 10... This game was the first time the Solar Bears had faced a team from outside the South Division since they took on the Wheeling Nailers on January 21, a span of five games... Trenton's Head Coach, Vince Williams, played four games for the Solar Bears in 2000-2001, but did not appear in any playoff contests... C Ryan Cruthers now has a seven game points streak (6 goals 3 assists), the longest points streak of the season for Orlando... F Michael Neal extended his points streak to five games with two assists tonight. He has seven points (4 goals, 3 assists) during that span...F Ryan Ginand's second period goal was his first goal since December 7. He returned to the lineup last night after missing 22 straight games due to injury... Tonight's crowd of 8,650 fans was the fourth time the Solar Bears have had over 8,000 fans and third largest crowd of the year. Orlando is 6-0-0-0 when over 7,000 fans are in attendance at the Amway Center... The Solar Bears are 8-0-0-1 in their last nine home games.
Get Tickets:The Solar Bears return to action when the host the Florida Everblades on Thursday, February 7, and Friday, February 8, for back-to-back games at 7:00 p.m. Good seats are still available. Visit www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com.
The Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and AHL's Houston Aeros, play all of their home games at the 2012 Street and Smith's Sports Business JournalSports Facility of the Year, the Amway Center.
Individual tickets for all regular season home games are on sale beginning as low as $15. To purchase your tickets, please visit www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com or the Amway Center Box Office.
Follow the Solar Bears at www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com, Facebook, and Twitter(@OrlandoHockey) for all the latest news and updates.
Don't get shut-out when we sell out! Take advantage of the Orlando Solar Bears season ticket pre-sale offer by placing a $50 deposit per ticket now to receive seat selection priority for the 2013-14 season. Call the Solar Bears at 407-951-8200 or visit www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com.
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Officially licensed Orlando Solar Bears replica team jerseys, apparel, and headwear can be purchased online at: http://shop.orlandosolarbearshockey.com/