Game Recap: Solar Bears Double Up Nailers in 6-3 Win

January 9, 2016

WHEELING, W. Va. – The Orlando Solar Bears (15-14-2-3), proud affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, were led by Eric Faille’s four-point (1g-3a) effort as they picked up their fifth win in their last six games as they edged the Wheeling Nailers (15-15-2-2) by a 6-3 score in front of 3,017 on Saturday night at WesBanco Arena.

Wheeling opened the scoring shortly after Orlando had killed a penalty in the first period, as Danny Fick let a wrist shot fly from the right point that beat Ryan Massa at 5:41.

The Solar Bears knotted the score at 1-1 when Rylan Schwartz received a pass from Faille and snapped a shot past Brian Foster at 12:23.

Orlando pulled ahead on the power play when Brady Vail fired a one-timer from the right circle past Foster at 15:12.

In the second period, the Solar Bears would survive a 5-on-3 penalty kill situation, but Wheeling tied the score at 2-2 when Andrew Cerretani tipped a shot from the left point by Brett Stern past Massa at 17:34.

Orlando pulled ahead again at 1:48 of third period when Mark Louis threw the puck on net through a screen to beat Foster.

The Nailers tied the score one again while on the power play, as Matia Marcantuoni jammed a loose puck into the Orlando net during a goalmouth scramble at 10:59.

The Solar Bears regained their lead when T.J. Foster capitalized on a Brian Foster miscue in the trapezoid and fired the puck into a wide-open net at 13:09. Orlando sealed the game with empty-net tallies from Denver Manderson at 18:39 and Faille at 19:07.

Massa earned the win with a 28-save performance while facing 31 shots; Foster took the loss with 14 saves on 18 shots against.

NOTES:

• With the victory, Orlando is now 7-0-0-0 all-time against Wheeling.
• The win in regulation improves Orlando to 35 points in the standings, allowing the Solar Bears to move past the Nailers into 10th place in the Eastern Conference.