Record crowd witnesses 2-1 Solar Bears win over Icemen

ORLANDO, Fla. – Clint Windsor made 32 saves in his first start of the season, while Tyler Bird and Hunter Fejes scored to lift the Orlando Solar Bears (3-4-0-1) to a 2-1 victory over the Jacksonville Icemen (1-5-2-0) in front of a franchise-record crowd of 11,318 on Tuesday at the Jewett Orthopaedic Rink at Amway Center, as the team hosted its fourth annual School Day Game, presented by Planet Smoothie.

Box Score

Orlando scored first at 8:05 of the first period after Colby McAuley raced up ice and dished a pass back to Bird at the right circle, who then snapped a shot past the glove of Jeremy Helvig.

Fejes made it 2-0 in the third period when Chris LeBlanc backhanded the puck into the air at the Orlando blue line ahead to Fejes, who sped in and beat Helvig to the blocker side at the 14:02 mark for his second goal of the season.

Windsor, meanwhile, continued to make save after save for the Solar Bears, but with Helvig pulled late in the game for an extra attacker, the Icemen spoiled the shutout bid for Orlando’s netminder when Nikita Korostelev scored at the 19:25 mark on Jacksonville’s 33rd and final shot of the game.

The Solar Bears defense prevented the Icemen from generating any further shots, as Windsor hung on to pick up the win; Helvig took the loss for the visitors and made 44 stops on 46 shots against.

THREE STARS:

1. Clint Windsor – ORL
2. Tyler Bird – ORL
3. Colby McAuley – ORL

NOTABLES:

• The Solar Bears’ attendance of 11,318 breaks the previous record of 11,075 set on March 19, 2016 vs. Adirondack
• The Solar Bears improved to a lifetime home record of 13-0-0-0 against the Icemen with the victory
• Orlando went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill and has not yielded a power-play goal over five consecutive games
• The Solar Bears outshot Jacksonville 21-11 in the second period, giving Orlando its highest total for shots on goal in a single period this season; the previous mark was 19 in the second period on Oct. 18 vs. Norfolk
• Fejes, LeBlanc and Dylan Fitze tied for the team lead with five shots on goal
• LeBlanc skated in his 129th career game with the Solar Bears, moving him past Denver Manderson for sole possession of fifth place on the franchise leaderboard
• Alexander Kuqali picked up the secondary assist on Bird’s goal in his return to the lineup after missing the previous six games

NEXT GAMES:

The Solar Bears hit the road for their next three games, as they face the Florida Everblades at Hertz Arena beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Solar Bears return home to host the Everblades on Thursday, Nov. 14 for 90s Night and Thirsty Thursday, presented by Coors Light. Fans can take advantage of $5 domestic draft beers during the game. 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.