Olson's four points powers Solar Bears to 7-3 win

DULUTH, Ga. – Trevor Olson led the way with a career-high four points and the Orlando Solar Bears (15-15-4-1) scored a season-high four goals in the first period on their way to a 7-3 victory over the Atlanta Gladiators (16-20-0-0) on Wednesday night at Infinite Energy Arena.

Box Score

Olson assisted on Kevin Lohan’s eventual game-winner at 15:57 of the first period to make it 4-0, then continued Orlando’s offensive explosion with his eighth of the season at 2:42 of the second period. After the Gladiators scored twice to chip away at Orlando’s lead, Olson assisted on Peter Abbandonato’s goal at the 13:46 mark, then buried his second of the evening at 11:55 of the third period when his shot at the right circle handcuffed relief goaltender Ben Halford. Olson’s two goals and two assists surpassed his previous career-high of three points, which last occurred on Feb. 27, 2019 vs. Florida.

The Solar Bears chased goaltender Chris Nell from the net halfway through the period thanks to a run of four goals in a span of nine minutes and 51 seconds, as Jake Coughler netted a shorthanded breakaway goal at 6:06, Chris LeBlanc scored his 11th of the season at 9:12, Tristin Langan got his 11th of the season at 13:21, and Lohan’s first goal of the season gave Orlando a 4-0 lead and led to the end of the night for Nell, who was replaced with Ben Halford.

LeBlanc’s goal in the first marked a new career-high for him, after recording 10 goals in each of his first two seasons playing for Orlando. The goal also moved him into 10th place on the team’s career goals list, passing Johnny McInnis. The Solar Bears captain also skated in his 153rd career game for the club, moving past Mike Monfredo and Scott Tanski for second place on the franchise games played list.

Taylor Cammarata, acquired earlier in the week in a trade with the Idaho Steelheads, made his Solar Bears debut and assisted on LeBlanc’s goal for his first point with his new club.

Abbandonato (1g-2a), Langan (1g-2a) and Cody Donaghey (3a) all enjoyed three-point nights for the Solar Bears in the victory.

Clint Windsor earned his eighth win of the season with 22 saves on 25 shots against; Nell took the loss going 8-for-12, while Halford made 20 of 23 stops in relief.

THREE STARS:

1. Trevor Olson – ORL
2. Tristin Langan – ORL
3. Jake Coughler – ORL  

OTHER NOTABLES:

• Orlando improved to 3-0-1-0 against the Gladiators this season
• Coughler’s shorthanded goal in the first period was Orlando’s 10th shorthanded goal of the season, tying Worcester for the league lead
• The Solar Bears went 1-for-2 on the power play thanks to Langan’s goal
• Abbandonato now has a four-game point streak (2g-4a)
• Johno May assisted on Olson’s first goal, giving him a three-game point streak (1g-1a)  

NEXT GAMES:

The Solar Bears continue their six-game road trip when they face the Atlanta Gladiators at Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, Jan. 15 at 7:35 p.m. The Solar Bears return home to face the Jacksonville Icemen on Thursday, Jan. 23 for a 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.