ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Solar Bears (28-19-4-0) used a two-goal burst in a 16-second span in the third period to come away with a 5-3 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (18-32-3-2) on Saturday night at the ARS.com Rink at Amway Center.
Orlando took the lead just 1:35 into the game when Jackson Playfair snapped a faceoff win from Otto Somppi past Garret Bartus for his second of the season.
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Greenville’s Thomas Ebbing tied the score at 1-1 at 10:51 when he deflected a shot from Chad Duchesne past Martin Ouellette.
Zach Frye put Orlando up 2-1 in the second period when he made his way behind the Greenville net and emerged at the left side of the cage. After his initial shot was stopped by Bartus, the rebound popped out into the slot, where Frye stuffed in his second of the season at the 6:11 mark.
The Swamp Rabbits answered with a shorthanded goal from Brendan Harms at 7:30 to even the score at 2-2.
Playfair pulled Orlando ahead for good at 5:55 of the third period. The forward received a behind-the-net pass from Somppi in the slot and snapped home his second of the evening.
Trevor Olson scored at 6:11 to make it 4-2 when he attempted to throw the puck on goal from the right corner of the rink and his centering attempt caromed off the pads of Bartus and into the net for Olson’s 11th of the season.
Johno May pulled Greenville back to within a goal with a power-play strike at 7:08.
Mike Monfredo capped the scoring for the Solar Bears after Mathieu Foget won a faceoff back to Orlando’s captain, who fired the puck through traffic past Bartus for his seventh of the season at 7:53.
Ouellette turned aside 21 of 24 shots that he faced to earn the victory; Bartus took the loss with 33 stops on 38 shots against.
THREE STARS
1) Jackson Playfair – ORL
2) Otto Somppi – ORL
3) Kevin Lohan – ORL
NOTABLES:
• The Solar Bears now hold a 3-2-1-0 record this season against Greenville.
• The Solar Bears have earned points in seven straight games on home ice dating back to Jan. 6 (6-0-1-0).
• Corey Kalk’s assist on Frye’s goal gives the forward a four-game point streak (5g-1a).
• Olson’s goal extends his point streak to four games (4g-1a).
• Frye’s goal extends his point streak to four games (2g-4a).
• Playfair’s two goals extends his point streak to four games (4g-2a) since beginning his pro career.
• Somppi finished the night with two assists and has recorded at least a point in each of his four games while being assigned to Orlando (2g-4a).
• Tayler Thompson earned an assist on Playfair’s second goal, giving him a three-game point streak (1g-6a).
• Cody Donaghey picked up an assist on Olson’s goal, giving the defenseman a three-game point streak (1g-2a).