The Orlando Solar Bears struggled to generate shots and scoring opportunities, but still found the back of the net to defeat the Reading Royals.
The Orlando Solar Bears were under attack all night. Rookie goalie Ryan Massa faced 36 shots and stopped all but two of them by the end of the night. It was the kind of effort that Orlando had to take advantage of.
Or maybe it was the kind of effort needed with Orlando struggling to stay out of the penalty box and generate many shots — just 16 for the game.
The opportunities the Solar Bears did get, they made count. And when they had to hold onto the lead and stave off the rally that would inevitably come with so many shots created, they found the goal they needed.
Jack Rodewald fed Brady Vail the puck in front of an empty net to score the decisive fourth goal and give the Solar Bears a 5-2 win at Santander Arena in Reading, Pa., on Saturday.
Vail scored two goals on three shots, bringing his season total to a team-leading five this year. Brett Findlay also has five on the first goal of the game Saturday. John McInnis also scored and Lindsay Sparks added an empty netter.
The Solar Bears were finding the back of the net but could not consistently generate a ton of offensive pressure. The Royals were the ones putting offensive pressure on the Solar Bears throughout the game.
Orlando committed seven penalties and gave Reading every opportunity to erase the team’s three-goal lead. The Royals only managed one power play goal, and it came with less than 30 seconds remaining on a four-minute double minor.
Reading just could not find the back of the net.
Not until early in the third quarter. The Royals got the lead down to one goal when Joe Rehkamp scored early in the third period and Cam Reid followed up with a goal on the power play later int he period.
The Solar Bears were holding on until Vail’s goal gave them the breathing room with less than five minutes to play to secure the victory.
The only bad news that came out of the game was when Patrick Watling needed assistance off the ice early in the second period after taking a nasty fall. There is no word on the extent of the injury, but he did not return to the game.
The mistakes and lack of sustained scoring pressure probably was not ideal for the Solar Bears. But the result certainly was.
