Solar Bears beat Stingrays 5-4 for first win of season

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears (1-1-0-0) took advantage of a four-goal run and survived a late comeback from the South Carolina Stingrays (0-2-0-0) to pick up their first victory of the season in a 5-4 win on Monday night at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center.

Click here for the box score.

Colby McAuley opened the scoring early in the first period for Orlando after Mike Monfredo and Alex Schoenborn helped force a turnover in the defensive zone, which allowed McAuley to bring the puck up the ice before snapping a shot past Adam Morrison at the 1:08 mark.

The Stingrays evened the score at 5:36 when Joey Leach beat a screened Martin Ouellette with a one-timer just as Hunter Fejes had exited the penalty box after serving a cross-checking minor assessed at 3:35.

Vincent Dunn restored the lead for the Solar Bears with a power-play goal in the second period, as he capitalized on a South Carolina turnover at the right circle and snapped a shot through traffic to beat Morrison at 4:46.

Brent Pedersen extended the lead for Orlando with his first pro goal after he buried a Michael Brodzinski rebound at 14:19. The rookie forward then received credit for another goal at the 19:00 mark when he redirected a point shot from Etienne Boutet into the South Carolina net.

McAuley netted his second goal of the night at 1:55 of the third period, as Cody Donaghey brought the puck beneath the goal line and fed it into the slot for McAuley to roof past Morrison, making the score 5-1.

The Stingrays battled back to close the deficit, as the visitors received goals from Kevin McKernan at 3:17 and Jake Kamrass at 4:23 that prompted the Solar Bears to use their timeout. Grant Besse then scored a power-play goal with Morrison pulled for an extra skater at 17:39, but the Orlando defense tightened up and held on to secure the win.

Ouellette picked up 32 saves on 36 shots against for his first victory of the season; Morrison took the loss with 22 stops on 27 shots against.

NOTABLES

• Pedersen now has a two-game point streak (2g-1a). He also led Orlando in shots on goal with six.
• Hunter Fejes’ assist on Orlando’s fourth goal gives the forward a two-game point streak (1g-1a).

THREE STARS1) Brent Pedersen – ORL2) Colby McAuley – ORL3) Alex Schoenborn – ORL

NEXT GAME: The Solar Bears square off against the South Carolina Stingrays on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center, as the team continues the 2018-19 season, presented by XYMOPrint. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

2018-19 Single-Game Tickets Now on Sale:

Single-game tickets for the Orlando Solar Bears 2018-19 regular season home schedule are now on sale. Fans can purchase single-game tickets for as little as $15 at the Amway Center box office, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

2018-19 Season Ticket Memberships:

Season Ticket Memberships for the seventh season of ECHL Orlando Solar Bears hockey are now on sale. Full and Half-Season memberships are both available, starting as low as $270. For more information, call (407) 951-8200 or visit orlandosolarbearshockey.com.

About the Orlando Solar Bears:

The Orlando Solar Bears are the proud affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and members of the ECHL, the premier “AA” hockey league in North America. In six seasons of operation, the team has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs four times. The Solar Bears are owned and operated by the Orlando Magic and the DeVos Family, and play at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center, the 2012 Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal Sports Facility of the Year.

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