Solar Bears double up Everblades 4-2 to open series

Doherty, Crane each record three points

ESTERO, Fla. – Taylor Doherty and Chris Crane each recorded three points as the Orlando Solar Bears skated to a 4-2 victory over the Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the South Division Semifinals to take a 1-0 series lead on Wednesday night at Germain Arena.

Click here for the box score.

SCORING SUMMARY

Orlando: Taylor Doherty (Chris Crane, Eric Faille), T. Doherty (Mason Marchment, C. Crane), C. Crane (T. Doherty, Darik Angeli), Denver Manderson

Goaltender: Ryan Massa: 30/32

Florida: Matt Berry (Bryce Aneloski), M. Berry (John McCarron, Brendan O’Donnell)

Goaltender: Alex Nedeljkovic: 26/29

ON THE SCORESHEET

• Taylor Doherty opened the scoring for Orlando at 11:28 of the first period shortly after exiting the penalty box after serving a two-minute minor for high-sticking assessed at 9:21. Doherty joined a rush with Eric Faille and Chris Crane and tapped in his first playoff goal in his very first playoff game after skating in 342 regular season games with the Worcester Sharks, Rapid City Rush, Toronto Marlies, Providence Bruins and Orlando. The defenseman added a power-play score at 4:58 of the second period.
• Chris Crane assisted on both of Doherty’s goals and tallied the eventual game-winner at 10:51 of the second period when he scooped up a shot from Doherty and snapped the puck past Alex Nedeljkovic.
• Doherty and Crane tied current Everblades defenseman – and former Solar Bears blueliner – Bryce Aneloski for the Solar Bears franchise record for points in a playoff game.
• Ryan Massa made 30 stops in his professional playoff debut, including point-blank saves on Florida’s Brant Harris and Mitchell Heard in the third period.
• Denver Manderson’s empty-net goal at 19:21 sealed the game for Orlando after the Everblades applied tremendous pressure in the third frame, outshooting the Solar Bears by a 16-9 margin in the final stanza. Orlando also had to contend with two separate penalty kill scenarios in the third period – the Solar Bears finished the night a perfect 4-for-4 on the PK.

NOTABLES

• This is the first time in Solar Bears franchise history that Orlando has scored the first goal in a playoff series, and has opened a series with a victory.
• Orlando resumes its best-of-seven South Division Semifinals with Florida on Friday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Germain Arena before the series shifts back to Orlando for Game 3 on Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center.

THREE STARS1) Taylor Doherty – ORL2) Ryan Massa – ORL3) Matt Berry – FLA

Tickets for Solar Bears home games for the 2017 Kelly Cup Playoffs, presented by Coors Light, are on sale now and can be purchased via orlandosolarbearshockey.com, the Amway Center box office and Ticketmaster.

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.

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.