The Orlando Solar Bears got back on track during their weekend series with the Altanta Gladiators. But could not score enough in Sunday’s loss.
The Orlando Solar Bears were hungry for repetitions to tighten things up following nearly a week and a half of games straight without practice. Their process had loosened and their precision had waned.
This was not the way this talented, young team wanted to play. Some time to sharpen things up was needed to bring back that energy and precision. The weekend series with the Atlanta Gladiators was the target for showing that growth.
A 4-0 win over Atlanta on Saturday was a sign the team had pushed through it all and emerged with their heads on straight. Sunday brought some of the same, just not the results.
Atlanta scored three goals in the third period, including two goals within 30 seconds to take a three-goal lead. The Solar Bears’ urgency picked up after that and they squeezed out two more goals but ran out of time in the end to fall 4-3 at the Amway Center on Sunday.
“It felt like we had as many Grade-A scoring chances we’ve had all year,” coach Anthony Noreen said. “I think it was a matter of it just started to go. We scored an ugly goal at the net and we draw another power play by moving and working. From that point on, it felt like we were going to get it, we just ran out of time.”
The Solar Bears final push came in those dying moments as they had their most sustained pressure of the afternoon.
After falling behind by three goals, Orlando had to get ugly to score its goals and climb back into the game.
Matt Rupert received a pass beneath the right faceoff circle, scoring on a deflection past the goalie. That got the energy back up and the Solar Bears were back to grinding out goals and offensive opportunities.
His brother Ryan Rupert scratched out another goal by attacking the net and scoring on an uncontrolled rebound.
These are the ugly goals a team has to get to win.
“It’s always tough playing from behind,” said Jack Rodewald, who assists on both of Orlando’s third period goals. “We wanted all four points this weekend. It’s too bad we didn’t get them. But I thought overall, it was a good weekend. The urgency, you could feel it go up a bit. A lot more grade-A opportunities to score in that last 10 minutes, we just couldn’t capitalize on a few of them.”
Orlando did indeed have the same kind of energy and sustained offensive pressure that marked Saturday’s win. The Solar Bears had indeed picked up their play and played better.
The Solar Bears tallied 33 shots, keeping the Gladiators to 36 in the game, better than the often shot-heavy play the defense gives up. Atlanta certainly came out with more determination to score after getting shut out less than 24 hours prior.
Orlando was aggressive and hard nosed on defense. Ryan Massa made several big saves and the Solar Bears were quick to win battles.
The Solar Bears were good at getting odd-man rushes and carrying the puck into the zone. Their first goal to open the game in the first period came when Eric Faille carried the puck into the zone on a shorthanded rush. He was held up but kept fighting to slow down Atlanta. The puck squirted away and right to Brady Vail who fired the shot past Kent Patterson.
That was about all the luck Orlando would get for the rest of the game. The Solar Bears committed a penalty later in the period and luck started going the other way.
Atlanta tied the game up when Max Everson’s shot deflected off Faille’s stick and bounced up and past Massa.
From there the Solar Bears had to search, missing opportunity after opportunity to take the lead back.
Atlanta scored three times in the third period with Thomas Frazee scoring twice on put backs and from a tough angle. Daniel Bahntge scored another ugly goal as it seemed Orlando was ready to unravel.
The Solar Bears fought back though and brought it back to one goal with a chance to force overtime at the buzzer. The urgency picked up and the team got to the net and finally scored.
“I think urgency comes through practice,” Noreen said. “We have to be more urgent in scoring areas in practice. We came in after the second period and I think we had five 2-on-1s and we didn’t score on any of them. You put one or two of those in and it’s a different hockey game.”
Those missed opportunities are something the team has had to fight through throughout the season. Sometimes a team gets all those opportunities and just cannot get the puck in the back of the net.
Rodewald said the team did a good job testing out the Gladiators’ goalie and playing more in their zone throughout the weekend series.
Orlando had awoken from the challenge of the malaise the team had the last few weeks. The Solar Bears were sharper and more energetic. It was clear the time spent reviewing and hammering things in had stayed home.
Even without the results, Orlando had plenty of reasons to be pleased with their play.
“It’s always frustrating when you can’t put the puck in the back of the net,” Rodewald said. “But I think learning and keeping the energy high and supporting each other goes a long way. If everybody is down on the bench, you’re not going to put in as many chances as you can. It starts with attitude. I think the attitude the past two games this weekend were pretty good.”
The Solar Bears seemed on the right track.
