Atlanta downs Orlando 5-1

Zach Frye scores lone goal for Solar Bears

DULUTH, Ga. – Zach Frye scored the lone goal for the Orlando Solar Bears (36-24-4-1), as the team came up short in its first opportunity to clinch a playoff spot in a 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Gladiators (30-26-7-3) on Wednesday night at Infinite Energy Arena.

The Gladiators took an early 1-0 lead when Nick Bligh knocked in a loose puck past Clint Windsor just 1:20 into the contest.

Frye tied the game for the Solar Bears at 8:24 of the second period when the puck rolled out from a goalmouth scramble to the left circle, where Frye fired a wrist shot past Sean Bonar for his fifth of the season.

Atlanta restored its lead at 10:26 when Zach Malatesta drilled a shot from the blue line past Windsor to make it 2-1 in favor of the hosts.
The Gladiators pushed their lead to two goals with a power-play tally from Brady Fleurent at 4:48 of the third period.

Matt Lane made it 4-1 in favor of Atlanta when he redirected a centering feed past Windsor at 13:25.
Justin MacDonald capped the scoring with an empty-net goal at 17:29.

Windsor made 35 saves on the 39 shots against that he faced; Bonar earned the victory for the Gladiators with 23 stops on 24 shots against.

THREE STARS

1) Nick Bligh – ATL
2) Matt Lane – ATL
3) Brady Fleurent – ATL

NOTABLES:

•    Orlando’s magic number to clinch a berth in the 2019 Kelly Cup Playoffs remains at two points.
•    The Solar Bears are 5-3-0-0 against the Gladiators this season with one game remaining in the head-to-head series.
 


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