EVANSVILLE, IND. – The Evansville IceMen prevailed victorious in their first game of 2013. The IceMen scored four goals in the game’s second period against the Orlando Solar Bears on Friday night at the Ford Center. Evansville trailed 1-0 after the first period before scorching the Solar Bears in the middle frame.
IceMen Left Winger Josh Beaulieu accounted for the game-winning goal 12:38 into the second period. Beaulieu’s 14th goal of the season was assisted by IceMen Defenseman Aaron Gens, who carried the puck deep into the Orlando zone before feeding the IceMen leading scored, and Right Winger Trent Vogelhuber. The marker gave the IceMen a 2-1 lead that held the remainder of the game. Beaulieu now has 31 points on the season and was voted the game’s first star with two points (1G, 1A) and a +3 rating.
Orlando Right Winger Dan Gendur made his presence felt early against his former team as he went high shelf on his 11th goal of the season exactly three minutes into the contest. Gendur’s opener was assisted by Orlando Defensemen Mike Liambas and Derick Martin. Gendur now has seven goals for the Solar Bears after being traded from Evansville on Dec. 8. The former IceMen forward has scored six goals in the last three games for Orlando.
Scoring the first goal for the IceMen on Friday night was returning prospect Left Winger Wade MacLeod in his first game back with Evansville since being recalled to the team by AHL Springfield. MacLeod’s fourth goal in three games for the IceMen came 8:22 into the second period and was assisted by IceMen Right Winger Kevin Baker and Center Todd Robinson. The IceMen are now unbeaten in three games that MacLeod has played in.
Evansville’s third goal was established at the 15:56 point of the second period by IceMen Right Winger Sebastian Wannstrom. Credited with the first assist on Wannstrom’s second goal of his season with the IceMen was Defenseman Jake Obermeyer. Beaulieu snagged his second point of the game by gaining the second helper on the goal.
Wannstrom rejoined the IceMen lineup after missing three games due to flu-like symptoms this past week.
The fourth and final goal scored by the IceMen in the second period came from Left Winger Dylan Clarke, who found twine for the 11th time this season. IceMen Defenseman Daniel Tetrault, the game’s third star, earned the first assist while IceMen Center Nathan Moon received credit for the second assist.
The four-goal outburst in the second period was the first time this season that the IceMen had scored four times in any single period. The latter three goals of the middle stanza came just 3:18 apart from each other, while the last two goals occurred just 40 seconds apart.
Evansville’s Moon added a fifth and final tally late in the game, officially 18:22 into the third period. Moon’s 11th goal of the season came on one of the team’s three power play opportunities, and was assisted by Robinson and Tetrault.
IceMen Goaltender Paul Dainton earned his first win with Evansville on Friday, saving 25-of-26 shots and compiling a masterful .962 save percentage. Dainton received second star of the game honors after denying Orlando of any life after Gendur’s goal three minutes into regulation.
The losing goaltender was Orlando’s John Curry, who was pulled after Evansville’s montage in the second period. Curry saved 19-of-23 shots and suffered a .826 save percentage. Curry was relieved by Hannu Toivonen, saving 11-of-12 shots faced on his was to a .916 save percentage for the Solar Bears in the third period.
The IceMen outshot the Solar Bears for the game, 35-26. Evansville’s power play went 1-for-3 against Orlando, while the team’s penalty killing unit successfully dismayed all three of the Solar Bears’ man advantages.
Evansville put a stop to their three game losing streak with the win and improve their record to 35(12-20-3) for 27 points on the season. Orlando’s record falters to 34(14-16-4)32 on the season.
The IceMen travel to Kalamazoo on Jan. 5 to face the fourth place Wings in a North Division matchup. The puck is scheduled to drop at 6:30 p.m. in Kalamazoo. The IceMen will return home on Sunday to host the first place Cincinnati Cyclones at 5:00 p.m. Both games can be heard on ‘Magic 98.5’ FM and 1400 AM WEOA, as well as the rest of the IceMen Radio Network.
