ECHL Orlando Solar Bears

Game Preview: Solar Bears at Evansville IceMen

March 14, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Orlando Solar Bears News Release


Who: Orlando Solar Bears (Minnesota Wild/Toronto Maple Leafs)

(35-18-2-2, 74pts, 4th, Eastern Conference) vs.

Evansville IceMen (Columbus Blue Jackets)

(26-22-3-7, 62pts, 10th, Eastern Conference)

Where: Ford Center - Evansville, IN

When: 8:15 p.m.

Listen Live: iHeartSolarBears.com, 740thegame.com, iheart.com/live/601/ - Pregame starts at 8:00 p.m.

Watch Live: America One

Follow: Game Updates on Twitter at @OSBHockeyGU

Social Media: Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Matchup:

The Solar Bears continue their nine game road trip in Evansville tonight after seeing their seven game road winning streak snapped last Saturday in Greenville. In that contest, the Road Warriors jumped out to a 5-0 lead over Orlando before the Solar Bears got on the board with a goal in the final seconds of the middle period. F Jacob Cepis then notched his 15th goal of the season early in the third to cut the deficit to 5-2, but it was as close as the Solar Bears would get in the 5-2 loss to Greenville. Evansville was last in action with three straight games last weekend, falling to the Elmira Jackals 3-2 on Friday night before suffering 5-1 and 5-4 losses in Reading on Saturday and Sunday. The IceMen are 2-5-2 in their last nine contests, however, eight of their last 10 games have been decided by just one goal. The Solar Bears have faced Evansville twice this season, winning the first contest 5-4 in a shootout and then falling 3-2 the following night.

Solar Bears Receive Five Players from AHL, Two Players Recalled to AHL:

The Orlando Solar Bears announced today that D Colton Jobke and F Taylor Matson have been assigned from the Iowa Wild, F Mike Duco and F Brad Ross have been assigned from the Toronto Marlies, D Bryce Aneloski has been returned from the Marlies, G Garret Sparks has been recalled to the Marlies, and F Andrew Johnston has been recalled to the Adirondack Phantoms.

Jobke appeared in four games with Iowa since being recalled on February 22, collecting two PIM. He has played 11 games with the Wild (AHL) this season, totaling four PIM. In 35 games with the Orlando Solar Bears, Jobke has posted two goals and four assists for six points along with 43 PIM.

Matson was named the ECHL Rookie of the Month for February after scoring eight goals and adding 11 assists for 19 points to go along with a +8 rating. He had a four point game to help the Solar Bears to a 4-3 overtime win over Kalamazoo on February 23, and also scored a game winning goal and a shorthanded goal the night before in Toledo. He has played 32 games for Iowa this season, scoring three goals and adding two assists for five points. Matson has skated in 24 games for Orlando, picking up 31 points on 13 goals and 18 assists.

Duco returns to the Solar Bears where he has recorded four goals and two assists in 11 games. The former NHL forward has played in 17 games for the Toronto Marlies this season, earning five points (2 goals, 3 assists) and 32 PIM in 17 games.

Ross has skated in 46 games for the Toronto Marlies this year, posting seven points on five goals and two assists to go along with 73 PIM. The second year pro has played in 86 games in the AHL with the Marlies, scoring 13 goals to go along with five assists and 202 PIM. He played in five games with the Idaho Steelheads last season, picking up one goal and two assists. The native of Lethbridge, AB, played five seasons (2007-12) in the Western Hockey League (WHL), all for the Portland Winterhawks, scoring 109 goals and adding 136 assists for 245 points in 270 games. He also had 656 PIM in those five season and led the WHL in PIM with 203 in the 2009-10 season.

Aneloski was recalled to the Marlies, his first trip to the AHL, on March 7, appearing in one game for Toronto. The rookie defenseman has played in 50 games for the Solar Bears this season, scoring five goals and assisting on 16 others for 21 points.

Sparks has been recalled to the Marlies after playing in one game for Orlando since being assigned to the team on March 7. The rookie netminder has collected a 2.82 GAA, .916 save percentage, and 4-6-0 record with Orlando, while with the Marlies he has a 6-5-0 record with a 2.69 GAA and .915 save percentage. Johnston is making his first trip the AHL this season after picking up four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 50 games with Orlando.

Solar Bears Notes:

F Mickey Lang leads the ECHL with 37 goals and 12 power play tallies, and is fourth in the league with 61 points... F Jacob Cepis has eight points (4g, 4a) in his last three games... Orlando had their seven game road winning streak snapped on Saturday. It was their longest in team history... Orlando has outscored their opponents 71-47 in the first period this season... The Solar Bears are fifth in the league on the penalty kill at 86.0% (185-for-215)... D Blake Kessel is tied for 3rd among defensemen with 34 points and tied for fourth among defensemen with 26 assists... Forwards Cameron Abney, J.T. Barnett and Jake Hauswirth are on the 21-day injured reserve... G John Curry, F Mike Ullrich, and F Josh Caron are in the AHL with the Iowa Wild... G Christopher Gibson, G Garret Sparks, and D Dylan Yeo are in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies... F Trevor Gillies is in the AHL with Abbotsford Heat... G Tyler Beskorowany is in the AHL with the St. John's IceCaps... F Andrew Johnston is in the AHL with the Adirondack Phantoms.

Marcel Dionne, Mike Ramsey, and Dave Christian to play in BE GREAT! Classic:

Hall of Fame forward Marcel Dionne and 1980 Gold Medal Winning Olympians Mike Ramsey and Dave Christian will play in the annual "BE GREAT! Classic for Kids" on Saturday, March 29, at the Amway Center. Dionne is fifth All-Time in the NHL with 1,771 points and was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1992. Both Ramsey and Christian helped the United States Men's Hockey Team capture a Gold Medal at the 1980 Olympics held in Lake Placid, New York - "The Miracle on Ice". Local hockey players will have the opportunity to purchase a roster spot to skate alongside Dionne, Ramsey and Christian and the net proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. For more information, call the Solar Bears at 407-951-8200.

IceMen Notes:

F Matt Schepke is tied for 15th in the league with 48 points. He is second in the league with 205 shots... G Mike Clemente is fifth in the ECHL with 1,996 minutes played... The IceMen are fourth on the power play at home at 20.0% (23-for-115)... D Matt Krug is seventh among defensemen with 32 points. He is fourth in the league with 197 PIM and second with 17 major penalties and 46 minor penalties... F Matt Schepke leads the IceMen with 22 goals and 48 points... F Nathan Moon leads the IceMen with 27 assists... Evansville is 2nd on the power play at 18.7% (41-for-219) and 18th on the penalty kill at 82.4% (183-for-222).

Check out the Orlando Solar Bears Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 14, 2014


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