Orlando, FL – The Worcester Railers HC (21-19-4-2, 48pts) lost to the Orlando Solar Bears (22-16-6-2, 52pts) on Monday night by the final score of 3-2 in front of a crowd of 6,847 at the Kia Center. The Railers are back at the Kia Center against the Orlando Solar Bears on Thursday, February 15th at 7:00pm.
Orlando struck first in the opening period when Darik Angeli (2-0-2) scored on a two-man breakaway and gave the Solar Bears a 1-0 lead. Riley Piercey (1-1-2) responded for Worcester to tie it 35 seconds later before Jérémie Biakabutuka (1-0-1) gave Orlando back the lead heading into the second. Ryan Dickinson scored his first professional goal to tie the game for Worcester by the end of the second. Darik Angeli scored again for Orlando in the third, as the score would then hold at 3-2 in favor of Orlando.
The Railers had a quiet first period, as they got outshot 10-6 through the first twenty minutes. Orlando scored first after Darik Angeli (3rd) and Mitchell Hoelscher combined down ice for a breakaway. Angeli finished a cross-crease pass past Ceci and put the Solar Bears ahead 1-0. Just 35 second later, Riley Piercey (4th) backhanded a misplay from Brandon Halverson into the back of the net, with Halverson still scrambling to get into his crease. The Solar Bears regained the lead 21 seconds later when Jérémie Biakabutuka took a cross-ice pass from the corner to the front of the net and beat Ceci to make it 2-1 Orlando going into the second.
Worcester came alive in the second, outshooting Orlando 15-11. After a long period filled with offensive zone pressure, Ryan Dickinson (1st) found the puck loose in front and buried it past Halverson to record his first professional goal to tie the game 2-2 with 6:11 left in the second. Worcester and Orlando were both held scoreless across the final six minutes as the frame would end in a tie.
The Railers kept their foot on the gas pedal in the third, outshooting Orlando 14-4 in the frame. It would be the Solar Bears who would take the lead however, off Darik Angeli (4th) scoring his second of the game. He took a one-timer from the far circle to beat Ceci and give the Solar Bears the lead for good at 3-2.
Notes
Three Stars: 3rd Star: Brandon Halverson (33 saves, 2GA, .943 SV%) 2nd Star: Mitchell Hoelscher (0-2-2, +1, 5 shots), 1st Star: Darik Angeli (2-0-2, +1, 5 shots)… Final shots were 35-25 in favor of Worcester… Brandon Halverson (10-8-3-1) made 33 saves on 35 shots for Orlando… Cole Ceci (1-2-0) made 22 saves on 25 shots for Worcester, while John Muse served as the backup… Worcester went 0-for-4 on the power play while Orlando went 1-for-5… Brendan Robbins (DNP), Zach White (DNP), Tristan Lennox (IR), Zsombor Garat (IR), and John Copeland (IR) did not dress for Worcester… Connor Welsh led the Railers in shots with 7.
