NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Orlando Solar Bears (4-3-1-0) visit the South Carolina Stingrays (4-2-0-0) for the first of two games this weekend, starting tonight at 6:05 p.m. at the North Charleston Coliseum. Orlando will play South Carolina eight times during the 2021-22 season, with three at home and five on the road, including tonight’s contest. The Solar Bears went 8-6-0-0 against the Stingrays last season.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The Solar Bears saw a three-game point streak (2-0-1-0) snapped last night in a 3-1 loss at Jacksonville.
- After his acquisition this week from the Fort Wayne Komets, goaltender Stefanos Lekkas is expected to make his Solar Bears debut tonight. Lekkas went 7-2-2 last season with Fort Wayne, with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
- Aaron Luchuk leads the ECHL in scoring with 15 points (7g-8a) through eight games.
- Solar Bears defenseman and captain Kevin Lohan is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight after he was released earlier in the week from his PTO with the Syracuse Crunch. During his time with Syracuse, Lohan made his AHL debut on Nov. 30 at Lehigh Valley. Lohan is fifth in club history with 147 games played.
- The Stingrays enter the 2021-22 season coached by former Solar Bears forward Ryan Blair for the second straight season. In his first year at the helm of the Stingrays, Blair guided the club to a berth in the Kelly Cup Finals, where they fell to Fort Wayne three games to one. Like Orlando, the South Carolina saw a three-game unbeaten streak snapped last night, as the Stingrays had a 2-0 lead on the Atlanta Gladiators before conceding four straight in an eventual 4-2 loss.
NEXT GAME: The Solar Bears close out the weekend against the South Carolina Stingrays on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3:05 p.m. at the North Charleston Coliseum. Orlando is back on home ice to take on the Maine Mariners on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at the AdventHealth Rink at Amway Center.
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