Fitze, Fucale help Solar Bears secure point against Grizzlies

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Dylan Fitze scored his first goal of the season and Zachary Fucale made 39 saves, but the Orlando Solar Bears (5-7-3-1) fell to the Utah Grizzlies (6-7-2-1) for the second straight night by a 2-1 score in overtime Saturday night at Maverik Center.

Box Score

The Grizzlies opened the scoring when Garret Klotz knocked in a rebound past Fucale for a power-play goal at 8:21 of the first period.

Fitze tied the score for Orlando at 1-1 in the second period when Colby McAuley stole the puck from a Grizzlies skater in the offensive zone and found Fitze in the slot, who snapped a shot past Hunter Miska at 8:06.

Utah came away with the win in overtime when Eric Williams lifted the puck past Fucale at 4:51 of the extra session.

Fucale took the overtime loss for Orlando with 39 saves on 41 shots against; Miska earned the victory by making 25 stops on 26 shots.

THREE STARS:

1. Eric Williams – UTA
2. Garret Klotz – UTA
3. Hunter Miska – UTA

NOTABLES:

• Orlando concluded its road trip with a 2-0-2-0 record, earning six of a possible eight points
• Fucale saw his scoreless streak that began on Nov. 14 vs. Jacksonville come to an end at 148 minutes and 43 seconds; during that stretch, Fucale posted back-to-back shutouts for the Solar Bears on Nov. 16 at Jacksonville and Nov. 20 at Idaho – as of the conclusion of Saturday’s games, he ranks second in the ECHL with a save percentage of .944
• Fitze led Orlando with five shots on goal
• Chris LeBlanc played in his 134th career game with Orlando, tying him with Brady Vail for the fourth-most regular season games played in team history  

NEXT GAMES:

The Solar Bears return home to host the Norfolk Admirals on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for this game.

Purchase Single-Game Tickets:

Single-game tickets for all Solar Bears home games are now on sale at the Amway Center box office and Ticketmaster. CLICK HERE to download the calendar for the 2019-20 season.

Order New Jerseys:

The Orlando Solar Bears will wear new jerseys for the 2019-20 season. Replica jerseys are available for purchase online, with adult sizes available for $149.95 and youth sizes available for $109.95. Fans can visit bit.ly/OSBJerseys to place their order today.

2019-20 Season Ticket Memberships on Sale Now:

Upgrade to Solar Status and become a Season Ticket Member today. Season ticket memberships for the 2019-20 season are now on sale and start as little as $270 – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

2019-20 Season Presented by XYMOPrint:

The 2019-20 Orlando Solar Bears season is presented by XYMOPrint, Orlando’s digital printing experts. As a special offer, fans who call XYMOPrint at (888) 223-9390 from now until June 15, 2021 and reference the Solar Bears will receive 15% off their first order and a free Orlando Solar Bears poster!

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 seven seasons of operation, the team has qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs five times. The Solar Bears are owned and operated by the Orlando Magic and the DeVos Family, and play 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.