ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades scored the first four goals of the game and never looked back, claiming a 7-3 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates Wednesday night in front of 6,159 fans at Hertz Arena. Craig Needham scored a pair of second-period goals to lead the attack, as he was one of six Everblades with two-point performances.

A dominant first period saw the Everblades score three goals while controlling the shot count by a one-sided 17-3 margin. Jesse Lansdell got on the board early, cashing in from the doorstep just 3:07 into the contest for his 10^th tally of the season. Oliver Chau and Reid Duke extended the Everblades’ lead to 3-0 with both players scoring their 16^th goals of the season at the 14:45 and 17:24 marks, respectively. Both markers came from the right circle, with Duke striking with the Blades just seven seconds into the team’s third power-play shift of the evening.

Needham continued to pile on the scoring early in the second period, putting Florida on top 4-0 at the 6:51 mark with his 21^st goal from the left side of the goal crease. Savannah’s Will Riedell managed to get the Ghost Pirates off the schneid at 8:15 of the middle frame, trimming the Florida lead to 4-1 with his seventh goal of the season.

Needham’s second goal of the game restored the four-goal lead as he banged home a rebound of two shots by Carson Gicewicz for his 22^nd of the year with just under four minutes left in the middle frame, as the Everblades took a 5-1 lead into the second intermission.

Third-period goals by Logan Lambdin and Tarun Fizer just 16 seconds apart opened up the Blades’ lead to 7-1. Lambdin’s ninth came at 5:39, while Fizer’s 20th came at the 5:55 mark. Savannah’s Reece Vitelli got two goals back for the Ghost Pirates, an even-strength goal at 6:46 and a power-play tally at 11:40, but the visitors drew no closer than 7-3.

Florida outshot Savannah 29-24, while Everblades goaltender Cam Johnson stopped 21 shots and won his ECHL-leading 26^th game of the season.

The Everblades and Ghost Pirates will square off two more times this week at Hertz Arena with a 7:30 p.m. contest on Friday, followed by a 7:00 p.m. game on Saturday. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

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BLADES BITS

The Everblades have won three straight games, while also picking up two points in five of the last six contests. Dating back to the start of the team’s nine-game winning streak on February 20, the Everblades have posted a 14-2 record. Since February 7, over a 20-game span, Florida has earned of 34 of a possible 40 points (16-2-1-1).

Florida is 6-2 versus Savannah this season, including a 3-0 mark at Hertz Arena with two more games on the slate later this week.

Craig Needham’s two goals extended his point streak to three games, leading a cadre of six Everblades with two-point games. Oliver Chau and Tarun Fizer both had a goal and an assist, while Sam Stange, Carson Gicewicz and Hudson Elynuik each had two assists.

Wednesday Night’s Scoresheet 

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