Weekly Report: January 16, 2017

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears resume their Wawa Sunshine Cup Series with the Florida Everblades this weekend as they visit the Everblades on Friday, Jan. 20 and return to the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center for Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, Jan. 21. This week also marks the 2017 CCM / ECHL All-Star Classic on Wednesday, Jan. 18 in Glens Falls, N.Y.

THIS WEEK:

Friday, Jan. 20 – 7:30 p.m.Germain Arena – Estero, Fla.Orlando Solar Bears at Florida Everblades

Saturday, Jan. 21 – 7 p.m.ARS.com Rink at Amway Center – Orlando, Fla.Orlando Solar Bears vs. Florida EverbladesPromotion: Military Appreciation Weekend – team will wear patriotic-themed jerseys featuring the seals of all five branches of the U.S. Military. Active and retired military personnel can purchase discounted tickets at orlandosolarbearshockey.com/heroes. Click here for more information.

Orlando20-13-4-2, 46 points2nd place, South Division

Florida Everblades25-8-1-2, 53 points1st place, South Division

LAST WEEK: 2-1-0-0

Wednesday, Jan. 11 – Orlando 6, Alaska 2Alex Gacek and Joe Perry gave the Solar Bears a 2-0 lead midway through the first period, but Alaska tied the score with strikes from Peter Sivak and Stephen Perfetto. Gacek added a second goal with only 14 seconds remaining in the frame, and Orlando added three more goals in the second period to come away with the 6-2 win.

Friday, Jan. 13 – Alaska 4, Orlando 2Darik Angeli and Chris Bradley both scored for Orlando, but the Aces rebounded to even the series at one game apiece.

Saturday, Jan. 14 – Orlando 9, Alaska 6In what has been the highest-scoring game of the season, the Solar Bears and Aces combined for 15 goals, while Alex Gacek and Joe Perry each enjoyed four-point nights, and Alaska’s Peter Sivak netted a hat trick. The Solar Bears scored five goals in the third period to hold off a late attempt to rally by the Aces.

BEAR TRACKS:

Gacek Providing Game-Winning GainsFollowing his performance last week, rookie forward Alex Gacek is now second in the league in game-winning goals behind only Alaska’s Peter Sivak and Toledo’s Tyson Spink (both tied with six). Since Jan. 3, Gacek has tallied 11 points (6g-5a) in seven games for Orlando.

Perry Closing in on Lang’s Franchise RecordWith 21 goals in 38 games, Joe Perry is only six goals back of Mickey Lang’s franchise record for most goals in a single season with 27, set during the 2013-14 campaign.

Manderson Dishing Puck OutWith 31 assists, Denver Manderson is tied with Atlanta’s Brock Higgs for the Eastern Conference lead. One more assist for Manderson means the alternate captain will match his personal best for the most assists with the same team in a single season, set during his first year with the Solar Bears in 2014-15. That season, Manderson finished the year with 50 points (18g-32a) in 52 games with Orlando. The forward added three assists during that campaign during a 20-game stint with the Toronto Marlies.

Kaskisuo Climbing Saves LadderGoaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo started all three games for Orlando this week, and the increased workload has seen the goalie jump into sixth in the entire ECHL in saves with 652 on the season. Both Kaskisuo and Ryan Massa (569 saves) are the only two goalies from the same team in the Eastern Conference to be among the league’s top 20 in saves.

EYE ON THE AHL:

• Tony Cameranesi – Cameranesi enjoyed a breakout week for the Marlies, recording his first AHL goal of the season in a 2-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday, and followed that performance up with a two-goal effort in Toronto’s 5-4 loss at Syracuse on Friday.
• Taylor Doherty – The hulking defenseman recorded his first AHL point of the season with a shorthanded assist on Friday in Providence’s 2-1 loss to Utica.
• Eric Faille – Orlando’s alternate captain received his second recall of the season to Toronto on Sunday.
• Brett Findlay – Findlay skated in Friday and Saturday’s games for Toronto, recording two penalty minutes over the weekend.
• Ethan Werek – The forward skated in three games for the Texas Stars last week, and finished the week with eight shots on goal.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:Thursday, Jan. 19 – 4-5 p.m. – RDV Sportsplex Ice DenFriday, Jan. 20 – 10:30 a.m. skate at RDV Sportsplex Ice Den before departing for Estero Practice locations and times are subject to change

Fans and media are invited to attend all on-ice practice sessions held at the RDV Sportsplex Ice Den, the official training facility of the Solar Bears. Flash photography and unauthorized video recording of Orlando Solar Bears practice sessions is not permitted. The RDV Sportsplex Ice Den is located at 8701 Maitland Summit Blvd., Orlando, FL 32810.

NEXT HOME GAMES:

• Military Appreciation Night & Patriotic Jersey – Solar Bears vs. Florida Everblades – Saturday, Jan. 21 – 7 p.m. – The Solar Bears battle their South Division rivals in another Wawa Sunshine Cup Series game
• Solar Bears vs. Allen Americans – Thursday, Jan. 26 – 7 p.m. – First-ever meeting between Orlando and the defending back-to-back Kelly Cup champions
• Solar Bears vs. Allen Americans – Sunday, Jan. 29 – 1:30 p.m. – UCF vs. UF game following Solar Bears game

APP:The Solar Bears mobile app, presented by BB&T, gives 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 app is FREE and available for both iOS and Android devices.

ON THE AIR:Orlandosolarbearshockey.com is now the broadcast home of the Solar Bears via the Mixlr streaming service. Radio broadcasts of Solar Bears games can be streamed online for free on any PC or mobile device. Pay-per-view video webcasts of all Solar Bears games are also available at ECHL.TV.

Single-game tickets for the 2016-17 season 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 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 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.