Game Recap: Solar Bears Down Stingrays 5-4 in OT

April , 2016

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Orlando Solar Bears (33-27-3-5), proud affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and AHL’s Toronto Marlies, came away with a 5-4 overtime victory over the South Carolina Stingrays (41-18-6-3) in front of 5,625 on Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum.

The Solar Bears got an early lead as Brady Vail made his way down the right side and fed a pass to Mark Louis in the high slot. As the defense collapsed around Vitek Vanecek, Louis fired a wrist shot that beat the goaltender low at 1:46. Vail’s assist was the forward’s 57th point of the season (20g-37a), setting the new Solar Bears single-season record for points, which was previously held by Jacob Cepis.

Minutes later Eric Faille received a pass from Patrick Watling and slammed the puck past Vanecek at 5:26.

Orlando continued its run during a 5-on-3 power play when Jack Rodewald knocked down a T.J. Foster rebound past Vanecek at 15:03.

The Stingrays got on the board when Joe Devin won a faceoff at the right circle back to Colton Saucerman, who one-timed a shot past Ryan Massa at 16:49.

The Solar Bears answered after Watling stole the puck from a Stingrays player as South Carolina attempted to exit its zone. Watling worked the puck along to Brett Findlay, who sent it back to a trailing Brenden Miller, and the rookie defenseman blasted the puck into the net at 18:10.

The Stingrays rebounded in the second period with two goals coming late in the frame from Austin Fyten at 15:50 and Caleb Herbert at 17:43.

Herbert tied the score when he received a long pass from Spencer Humphries and streaked into the Solar Bears zone and snuck a shot through the pads of Massa at 3:10 of the third period.

The game remained tied at 4-4 following the end of regulation, but Miller won the game for Orlando at 2:44 of the extra frame after one-timing a pass from Foster.

Massa picked up the win with 40 saves on 44 shots against; Vanecek took the overtime loss with 12 stops on 17 shots against.

NOTES:

• With the win the Solar Bears (73 points) remain in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is four points back of ninth place Elmira and eighth place Kalamazoo with one game in hand on both teams.