Blades Drop 3-2 Heartbreaker at Orlando

Orlando, FL – Never trailing until the third period, the Florida Everblades fell 3-2 Sunday to the Orlando Solar Bears at the Amway Center, suffering their third consecutive loss.

Following a scoreless first period, the Everblades struck first in the second as Rocco Carzo bombed a drop pass from Trevor Bruess through the legs of Orlando netminder Christopher Gibson to lift the Blades to a 1-0 edge 4:19 into the frame.

Orlando dialed up an answer with 10:01 to go in the middle stanza as defenseman Bryce Aneloski caught Blades goalie Connor Knapp leaning and looped a low shot off Knapp’s blocker and in to tie the game at one.

The Blades pulled back ahead at 2-1 with 2:26 thanks to a dominant forecheck when Joe Stejskal had a shot blocked straight to Philip-Michael Devos, who buried the loose puck for his second goal as an Everblade.

Before the visitors could escape to the second intermission, however, Orlando tied it back up at two as Scott Tanski lobbed a rolling shot that Cody Wild deflected in with 58 seconds left in the period.

Tanski netted the only goal of the third on the rush as the Solar Bear forward powered a shot off of Knapp and in to push the home side ahead 3-2 with 10:54 to go in the final frame.

After the go-ahead strike, Orlando deployed a passive trap that stymied the Blades’ attempts to enter the zone, easing Gibson’s way to his second win in eight appearances against Florida. The Maple Leafs prospect made 35 stops to improve to 2-5-0-1 against the Everblades on the season.

Knapp submitted 26 saves but dropped his second consecutive decision since being assigned from the AHL’s Rochester Americans.

The Everblades now return home to open a six-game home stand, starting Wednesday with a 7:30pm contest against the resurgent Greenville Road Warriors. Wednesday’s game will be “Two-Dollar Wednesday,” with $2.00 hot dogs, Budweiser drafts and Barefoot Wines.

Tickets are now on sale at the Capital Bank Box Office, open Monday through Friday, 10:00am until 6:00pm.

Wednesday’s home tilt will be broadcast live online at FloridaEverblades.com and on the Everblades’ app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, with a video webcast available through America ONE, the official broadband and mobile broadcaster of the ECHL, at www.americaonesports.com. Pregame coverage will get under way at 7:15pm.

Beat the Box Office!

Don’t want to pay the box office rate for Everblades tickets? You don’t have to! Save up to $7.00 per ticket with great 10 and 20-game flex plans and group rates for the remainder of the 2013-14 campaign. Lock in your flex plan or group seats now for the Blades’ next home game on January 29.

For more information call 239-948-7825, or stop by the Everblades main office located at Germain Arena.

Office hours are Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning.

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