Game Day: Road Trip Wraps Up in Orlando

Game #57

Admirals (21-28-5-1) vs. Orlando (24-25-5-1)

Amway Center

7:00 pm

Last Time Out:

Norfolk peppered the Orlando net with 39 shots but was unable to beat Cal Heeter more than once as the Admirals fell 2-1 on Sunday afternoon to the Solar Bears.

After a scoreless first period Orlando got on the board just 1:21 into the middle period. JJ Piccinich connected with Tayler Thompson streaking to the net, as the former Admirals quickly tapped the puck past Jamie Murray to open the scoring. Nine minutes later the Admirals evened things up thanks to Brodie Dupont. TJ Melancon ripped a shot from the right point that was tipped in front by Dupont, sending the puck past Heeter to tie the game.

Orlando took the lead for good early in the third period. Hunter Fejes took advantage of a misplayed puck and tucked it past Jamie Murray at the 3:56 mark of the period. The Admirals ended the night 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.

Head-to-Head:

The season series wraps up on Monday evening at the Amway Center. Norfolk has already secured a victory in the season series having won four of the first five games. Sunday’s victory was the Solar Bears first in four tries at home over the Admirals this season.

Grant Besse (8 pts) and Max Novak (7 pts) lead their respective teams in points during the six-game series. Besse also leads all skaters with four goals. Norfolk’s Brodie Dupont is tied with Joshua Winquist for second in goals with three.  Cal Heeter, who claimed the victory on Sunday, has played in five games posting a record of 2-2-0-1 against the Admirals. The Orlando goaltender is allowing 2.18 goals per game, while stopping just over 94% of shots faced. Ty Reichenbach has faced the Solar Bears five times, going 4-1-0-0, while Jamie Murray is 0-1-0-0 in two appearances.

Scouting the Solar Bears:

The Solar Bears are currently eight points ahead of the Admirals and seven points ahead of Jacksonville for the fourth and final playoff spot in the South Division. Orlando heads into Monday’s matchup having won its last two games.

Orlando’s offense is led by Joshua Winquist who has 47 points in 48 games for the Solar Bears this season. Sunday’s hero Hunter Fejes ranks second on the team in scoring with 45 points in 55 games split between Orlando and Wheeling. Max Novak is right on Fejes’ heels with 42 points (15g, 27a) in 53 games.

Cal Heeter has tended the net in 35 games for the Solar Bears this season. The netminder, who has two wins over the Admirals, is 15-13-3-1 while allowing 2.84 goals per game.

20 Goals For the First Time:

Brodie Dupont’s goal on Sunday afternoon gave the captain 20 goals in a season for the first time in his professional career. The Admiral captain had come close during his second professional season netting 18 with the Hartford Wolf Pack, but had never surpassed the 20-goal mark. The captain followed up his 18-goal year with his second-best year, a 17-goal season, but that was as close to the 20-goal mark as he got prior to this season. Dupont is currently tied for third place in the ECHL in scoring, five points back from league leading Shawn Szydlowski.

Horn’s Riding High:

Forward Christian Horn heads into Monday’s game riding a seven-game point-streak dating back to February 14. The seven-game streak is the longest of his professional career, and the third longest active streak in the ECHL. Horn has eight points (3g, 5a) during the last seven games. Horn has points in nine of his last ten games and ranks ninth on the team in scoring this season.