NEAL'S HAT TRICK NOT ENOUGH AS EVERBLADES POWER PAST SOLAR BEARS

Orlando Plays Final Home Game of 2012-13 Season Tomorrow Night

Click here to view the box score Orlando, FL -  F Michael Neal notched three goals for the Solar Bears but it wasn't enough as Orlando surrendered three power play goals in an 8-3 loss to the Florida Everblades in front of 6,701 fans at the Amway Center on Tuesday night. The Solar Bears started the scoring 4:26 into the first period. F Nick McParland fired a centering pass from the boards finding F Michael Neal, who redirected the pass into the net for a 1-0 lead. The Everblades answered with a goal less than two minutes later. F Corey Trivino snapped a pass out of the right corner where it bounced off a Solar Bears defender and into the net. The contest remained tied 1-1 going into the first intermission. At 5:30 in the second frame, the Everblades took their first lead of the night. LW Mathieu Roy fired a shot on goal and gathered the rebound to push the puck past G Patrick Killeen for a power play goal. Florida struck again at 8:23 in the period to widen their lead to 3-1 when F Adam Brace found his own rebound, and Florida held the lead through the remainder of the frame. The third period saw the Everblades begin to widen their lead. 1:27 into the final stanza, Trivinio collected his second goal of the game. Neal answered for the Solar Bears at 7:11 when he fired home a one timer off a feed from C Dale Mahovsky. Just 12 seconds after that, F David Rutherford restored the three goal lead for Florida with a slap shot from the right wall. Neal collected his hat trick goal at 9:21 of the third when he poked home the puck on another feed from Mahovsky, but Florida answered with three straight goals, including Trivino's third of the game on a late period power play, to collect the final 8-3 victory.Three Stars: 1. C. Trivino (FLA); 2. M. Neal (ORL); 3. M. Roy (FLA)Power Plays: ORL: 0/1; FLA: 3/6Shots: ORL: 25; FLA: 35Notes:The Solar Bears wore their third jerseys tonight... F Michael Neal became the third Solar Bear to collect a hat trick this season. He joins LW Nick Petersen and RW Dan Gendur as players who have scored three goals in a single game. All three Orlando hat tricks have come on home ice... Tonight's game marked the second time this season that the Solar Bears and Everblades have each had a player score a hat trick in the same game. Florida F David Rutherford notched a hat trick during the same game that RW Dan Gendur scored four times for the Solar Bears on December 28 in an 8-4 Orlando win... The Solar Bears play their final home game of the 2012-13 season tomorrow against the Florida Everblades.

Get Tickets: Orlando closes out the 2012-13 home schedule tomorrow, Wednesday, March 27, at 7:00 p.m. against the Florida Everblades. 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 Journal Sports 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. Group tickets are a great way to entertain employees, co-workers, clients, friends and family. For more information on discounted group tickets and a list of group benefits, call 407-951-8200 or click here. Officially licensed Orlando Solar Bears replica team jerseys, apparel, and headwear can be purchased online at: http://shop.orlandosolarbearshockey.com/