Perry's hat trick leads Solar Bears to 7-2 win over Mavericks

Orlando scores six straight in runaway match

ORLANDO, Fla. – Joe Perry scored a hat trick as the Orlando Solar Bears (7-5-2-0) earned a 7-2 victory over the Missouri Mavericks (6-8-0-1) on Tuesday night at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center.

Click here for the box score.

Missouri took an initial lead at 5:30 of the first period when Rocco Carzo deflected a point shot from Ryan Obuchowski past Ryan Massa for a power-play goal.

Orlando countered soon after when Brett Findlay prevented a Missouri clearing attempt from exiting the zone and slid the puck towards the front of the net, which led to Denver Manderson firing the puck into the pads of Josh Robinson, allowing Perry to hammer the rebound into the net at 6:24.

Findlay then pulled Orlando ahead at 14:16 when he snapped a Manderson feed above the glove of Robinson. After a lengthy delay to confirm that the puck had indeed entered the net, the goal was upheld and the Solar Bears had a 2-1 lead.

Orlando came out fast and furious in the second period as Perry struck again by redirecting Jon Jutzi’s shot from the high slot at 2:30, and Austin Block received credit for deflecting Taylor Doherty’s shot past Robinson at 4:34.

The Solar Bears forecheck proved to be formidable even while shorthanded, when Eric Faille found himself pinned up along the end boards behind the Missouri net. Findlay grabbed hold of the loose puck and baited Robinson out of the crease as Faille made his way to front of the cage to tap in his fifth goal of the season at 11:52.

Perry then completed the hat trick at 15:33 after Findlay intercepted a pass from a Mavericks defender behind the net and fed Perry out in front for the first hat trick on home ice for Orlando since Brad Ross managed the feat on Oct. 18, 2014 against Greenville.

Missouri replaced Robinson with Ville Husso to start the period, and the change appeared to spark a small change for the visitors, as Dan Correale knocked home a backdoor feed from Shawn Pauly just 43 seconds into the final frame.

The Solar Bears put the game away for good when Block tipped a Johnny McInnis shot past Husso at 15:04.

Massa collected the win with 24 saves on 26 shots against; Robinson took the loss with 23 saves on 29 shots against in 40 minutes of play, while Husso recorded 20 saves on 21 shots in 20 minutes of relief.

Three Stars:

1) Joe Perry – ORL2) Brett Findlay – ORL3) Austin Block – ORL

The Orlando Solar Bears welcome the Brampton Beast to Orlando for the first time as we celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center. The Beast are the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, the Original Six rival of the Solar Bears affiliate, the Toronto Maple Leafs. To commemorate the occasion, both teams will wear NHL affiliate-inspired jerseys. Single-game tickets are now on sale at the Amway Center box office and ticketmaster.com. Full and half-season ticket plans are now available by visiting OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com.

The Solar Bears have released a brand-new mobile app, presented by BB&T, giving Solar Bears fans everything they need right in their pocket. The app is also home to the brand-new Loyalty & Rewards Program, which provides Solar Bears fans with opportunities to accumulate points and redeem them for exclusive prizes. The new app is FREE and available for both iOS and Android devices.

The Orlando Solar Bears are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and play all of their home games at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center, the 2012 Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal Sports Facility of the Year.

Follow the Solar Bears at www.OrlandoSolarBearsHockey.com, Facebook, and Twitter (@OrlandoHockey) for all the latest news and updates. Stay in touch with Shades on Instagram by following SolarBearsHockey.

Season tickets, Corporate Flex vouchers, and Group tickets are a great way to entertain employees, co-workers, clients, friends and family. For more information on all of the Solar Bears ticket packages, call (407) 951-8200 or visit orlandosolarbearshockey.com/groups.

Officially licensed Orlando Solar Bears replica team jerseys, apparel, and headwear can be purchased online at orlandosolarbearshockey.com/shop.