‘Blades open 2016 hosting Orlando
With less than half the ECHL season completed, the Florida Everblades begin the New Year at 7:30 p.m. Friday against in-state rival Orlando at Germain Arena.
The Everblades (22-9) have won all four prior meetings with the Solar Bears (10-17) this season as they head into a stretch of three consecutive games with the Bears. The Wawa Sunshine Cup Series will head back to Orlando Saturday to finish off a stretch of three games in three days.
The Blades, who enter the weekend with 41 games remaining in the regular season, stay on the road for three games in Greenville before returning to Germain Arena on Jan. 13 to start a six-game homestand.
The Blades currently lead the South Division standings by seven points over South Carolina and eight points over Atlanta. The Solar Bears are last in the five-team division, 19 points behind the Blades.
Goaltender Keegan Asmundson agreed to terms with the Blades on Sunday to strengthen the roster as the second goalie. Forward Ethan Werek also was loaned out to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Asmundson, 25, made seven appearances this season with the Evansville IceMen.
The Blades are coming off Sunday’s 4-3 victory in Orlando when Corey Cowick scored the game winner with Matt Marquardt, Logan Roe and Matt Willows also scoring for the Blades.
The Solar Bears scored the game’s first two goals before Willows beat Bears goalie Rob Madore to cut the lead in half. The Blades tied the game at 2-2 late in the second period when Brendan O’Donnell sotted Roe, a Fort Myers native, open in the slot for the tying score.
The Blades took the lead for good three minutes later on Marquardt’s goal on the doorstep. Cowick finished off the Blades scoring seconds left in the second period.
Up 4-3 entering the third period, the Blades caught a massive break as an Orlando goal was waved off by a referee on an obstruction call of goaltender Anthony Peters. That was as close the Bears got to tying the game. Peters stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced.