Rally falls short for Solar Bears in 5-2 loss to Stingrays

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears (13-10-2-0) attempted to rally from a 2-0 deficit in the third period but ultimately fell to the South Carolina Stingrays (17-11-0-0) by a final score of 5-2 on Monday night at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center.

Click herefor the box score.

Both teams played through a scoreless first period, as Martin Ouellette made eight stops in net for the Solar Bears.

Matt Pohlkamp opened the scoring with a power-play goal for South Carolina at the 7:21 mark of the second period when he banked a shot past Ouellette inside the left post.

Andrew Cherniwchan extended the lead for the visitors to two goals when he fired a shot from the right circle that beat Ouellette to the far side at 16:25.

South Carolina’s Joey Leach was ejected for boarding Orlando’s Corey Kalk late in the frame, setting up a 5-on-3 power play for the Solar Bears in the third period once Andrew Cherniwchan was whistled for tripping 33 seconds into the final stanza. On the ensuing two-man advantage, Michael Brodzinski found the back of the net with a shot that beat a screened Angus Redmond exactly two minutes into the third to give the blueliner his fifth of the season.

Cherniwchan netted another goal to restore the two-goal edge for South Carolina at 7:22, but Mathieu Foget brought Orlando back to within a goal at 11:44 as he redirected a feed from Chris LeBlanc past Redmond for his eighth of the season.

Orlando attempted to equalize the score by pulling Ouellette late in the game, but the Stingrays struck with empty-net tallies from Cameron Askew (18:10) and Shane Eiserman (19:43) to put the game away.

Ouellette took the loss with 21 saves on 24 shots against; Redmond earned the victory with 29 stops on 31 shots against.

THREE STARS1) Andrew Cherniwchan – SC2) Jonathan Charbonneau – SC3) Angus Redmond – SC

NEXT GAMES: The Solar Bears return to action with a Thirsty Thursday, presented by Coors Light, against the Florida Everblades on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. Fans can take advantage of $5 domestic draft beers during the game. CLICK HEREto purchase tickets.The Solar Bears will host their annual Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic, against the Florida Everblades on Friday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. CLICK HEREto take advantage of a special Teddy Bear Toss ticket package.

Festive Four Packs presented by CenturyLink

Get the perfect holiday stocking stuffer when you purchase a Festive Four Packs, presented by CenturyLink! Pick any four games and get $65 dollars in gift certificates to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Duffy’s Sports Grill, QDOBA Mexican Eats and a FREE center ice ticket to the Orlando Solar Bears Teddy Bear Toss game on Friday, December 21st! Packs start as low as $69.99 – CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.

2018-19 Season Presented by XYMOPrint:

The Orlando Solar Bears are proud to have local digital printing experts XYMOPrintas the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 season. As a special offer, fans who call XYMOPrint at (888) 223-9390 from now until June 15, 2019 and reference the Solar Bears will receive 30% off their first order of 500 business cards.

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 Membershipsfor 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.