Massa's 57 Saves Stonewalls Everblades in 4-2 Loss

Written by Robert Molnar

ORLANDO, FL – Ryan Massa stopped an amazing 57-shots to lead the Orlando Solar Bears (17-9-3-0, 37 pts) to a 4-2 victory over the Florida Everblades (17-6-1-2, 37 pts) Thursday night at the Amway Center. Following the result, the Everblades now lead Orlando six points to four in the battle for the Wawa Sunshine Cup Series.

Despite being on the back foot for the early part of the first period, Orlando took the game’s opening lead with just over five-minutes remaining in the frame. Picking up the loose puck behind the Florida goal, Chase Witala found Joe Perry alone out in front of goal. Collecting the pass, Perry sent his quick shot under the pad of Everblades goaltender Anthony Peters.

Doubling their lead just a couple minutes into the second period, Joe Perry scored his second of the night to put the Solar Bears up 2-0. Getting the puck down into the Florida zone, Brett Findlay found Perry alone on the backdoor. Much like his earlier goal, Perry wasted little time as he shoveled the puck behind Anthony Peters and into the net.

Extending their lead to 3-0, Orlando used a quick transition to get Nikolas Brouillard alone in front of goal. Going from offense to defense, the Solar Bears broke on quick rush into the attacking zone. Receiving the puck from Patrick Watling, Brouillard made a nifty move in front of goal and buried his quick shot through the five hole of Anthony Peters.

Following a skirmish between the teams that saw seven penalties be handed out, the Everblades began to gain some momentum. As the period neared its end, the ‘Blades took advantage of a power play opportunity to finally get on the board. Following up a shot from Brendan O’Donnell, Brant Harris picked up the puck. Backhanding a shot from the short side, Harris sent the puck top shelf to beat Orlando goaltender Ryan Massa.

As the team’s entered the third and final period of play, Florida continued to earn chance after chance. Earning a power play chance late in the third period, the ‘Blades cut the Solar Bears lead in half with just under four minutes to play in the game. Getting in front of goal, Brant Harris scored his second of the game as he took advantage of a rebound to blast the puck into the open net.

Searching for the tying goal late in the game, the Everblades threw everything they could at the Orlando netminder. Despite recording 20-shots in the final period, Ryan Massa was not going to be denied the win in this contest. Pulling the goaltender to earn the extra attacker late, Orlando took advantage as they scored an empty netter to clinch the 4-2 victory.

Ryan Massa was absolutely stellar in goal for the Solar Bears, earning the victory after stopping 57 of 59-shots he faced. Anthony Peters played extremely well in net for the Everblades but suffers the loss, allowing three goals on 37-shots.  The Everblades fell two shots shy of matching a club record for most shots in a game at 61, which occurred back on January 13, 2009 in a game against the Charlotte Checkers.

BOX SCORE / GAME SHEET

The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, December 27 at the Amway Center in Orlando beginning at 7:00 p.m. Fans can catch the game on WJBX (770-AM, 101.5 FM, 104.3 FM) or online by CLICKING HERE  

Upcoming Home Games & PromotionsWednesday, January 4 vs. Manchester, 7:30 p.m. – $2 Wednesdays! $2 Beers, Wines & Hot Dogs all night long!  Wednesday's are also College Night.  College students receive a $5 ticket w/ free parking when they present their College ID at Germain Arena.

Friday, January 6 vs. Manchester, 7:30 p.m. – Kids eat FREE in the Breakaway Sports Pub with the  purchase of an adult entree!

Saturday, December 7 vs. Manchester, 7:00 p.m. – The Fur Circus (pictured below) will perform during the intermissions and entertain fans throughout the night.  Pregame tailgate from 5-7 p.m. featuring live music and bounce houses.  A great night to bring the kids!

Ticket Information

Game Tickets: Everblades tickets may be purchased at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet, or online atwww.ticketmaster.com2016-17 Season Ticket Plans Now Available!  Full and flexible partial season ticket plans are currently available for the 2016-17 season. We offer several tickets packages designed to help fit your budget and schedule.Special Offer!  Purchase any new ticket package for the 2016-17 season, and receive a $20 gift card from Ford's Garage!  Locations include Cape Coral, Downtown Fort Myers and Miromar Outlets in Estero.

Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price, and you ma also receive an Everblades souvenir! Group tickets are available for all home games. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825.

This release courtesy of Fort Myers Technical College & Cape Coral Technical College

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###