ESTERO, Fla. – This was a game for the ages.

Sam Stange became the first Florida Everblades player to score four goals in a game in more than nine years – collecting all four goals in the second period – as the Blades rolled to a 9-2 victory over the Orlando Solar Bears in front of 7,360 boisterous fans Saturday night at Hertz Arena.

Stange’s four-goal performance was the sixth four-goal game in Everblades history and the first by an Everblade since John McCarron authored the feat on December 3, 2016 – also against the Orlando Solar Bears.

Carson Gicewicz struck first for the Everblades, carrying the puck all the way from the Blades’ defensive end off a pass from Craig Needham and burying a drive from the high slot that gave Florida an early 1-0 lead just over eight minutes into the contest. 

An extremely busy second period saw Orlando’s Connor Eddy tie the game at 1-1 just 3:41 into the frame, but shortly thereafter, Stange took over.

Stange’s four-goal period started with a pair of goals just nine seconds apart that put the Everblades back on top 3-1 by the 5:23 mark. 

After Orlando’s Aaron Luchuk (6:49) and Florida’s Tarun Fizer (9:42) traded goals with the Everblades taking a 4-2 lead, Stange took control once again.

Stange completed his hat trick 14:47 of the middle frame and tacked on his fourth marker of the period – and 13^th of the season – with 17 seconds left in the period, as Florida took a 6-2 lead into the second intermission. 

Third-period goals by Cole Moberg (7:09), Oliver Cooper (16:22) and Reid Duke (19:07) closed out the scoring to seal the Everblades’ 9-2 victory.

Everblades goaltender Cam Johnson stopped 20 shots and earned his league-leading 25^th victory win on the season. Florida outshot Orlando 35-22 in the game.

Next up for the Everblades is a three-game set versus the visiting Savannah Ghost Pirates who skate into Hertz Arena for a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests on Wednesday, March 25 and Friday, March 27, followed by a 7:00 p.m. tilt on Saturday, March 28. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

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BLADES BITS

Sam Stange’s four-goal performance was the Everblades’ first four-goal game in more than nine years, as John McCarron registered the Blades’ last four-goal game on December 3, 2016, an 8-6 victory over visiting Orlando. The game marked Stange’s second hat trick of he season – both against the Solar Bears – as he exceeded the three-goal effort he logged in the Blades’ 6-1 win in Kia Center on October 21.

With four goals on Saturday, Stange has eight goals in just 10 games with the Everblades this season. He raised his season total to 13 goals in 18 ECHL contests this season, having previously scored five goals in eight games with the Allen Americans. Stange also has three goals in 31 games this season with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.

Stange’s four-goal period was one shy of the ECHL individual player record of five goals in a single frame. That feat was accomplished twice, once in 1999 (Hampton Roads’ Tom Bissett) and once in 2007 (Dayton’s Chanse Fitzpatrick). With two goals nine seconds part, Stange fell just short of the ECHL record of two quickest goals by one player – four seconds apart – which occurred in 2016 by Fort Wayne’s Garrett Meures.

The Everblades last scored nine goals in a game in a 9-4 victory over Savannah on January 20, 2023.

Carson Gicewicz scored his first goal since November 19, notching his first point in five games since rejoining the Everblades lineup on March 7.

Jordan Sambrook led the Everblades with two assists, while 10 other Blades each registered one assist on the night.

 

The Everblades and Solar Bears wrapped up the season series on Saturday, with the Blades sporting a 12-1-1 record against the Solar Bears in 2025-26, including a 6-1-1 mark at Hertz Arena. In games played in Orlando’s Kia Center, the Blades are a perfect 6-0.

Florida and Orlando combined for 64 penalty minutes on 18 infractions.    

Saturday Night’s Scoresheet 

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