Solar Bears capture series
Fejes scores twice and Tammela gets 3 points in Game 5 road victory as Orlando advances in playoffs
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Though Hunter Fejes and Jonne Tammela weren’t yet back with the Orlando Solar Bears when the ECHL playoffs began, they’ve already made an impact in advancing to the next round.
The duo had a hand in four of Orlando’s five goals Saturday night, helping the Solar Bears finish off the South Carolina Stingrays with a 5-2 victory that wrapped up their South Division semifinal series in five games.
Fejes scored twice for the Solar Bears, giving him four in just three playoff appearances, while Tammela added a goal and two assists.
Tayler Thompson and Troy Bourke rounded out the scoresheet as Orlando won its fourth straight after getting blanked in Game 1 at Amway Center.
“I feel like our team has been playing better every game,” said Tammela, who assisted on each of Orlando’s first two goals and tallied his own late goal in the second period in a 4-on-4 situation.
The last three victories of the series came at North Charleston Coliseum, giving the Solar Bears four straight on South Carolina ice when including their final regular-season meeting.
Overall, the Solar Bears have won nine of their past 11 games going back to the final two weeks of the regular season.
“I think the guys really pulled together,” Solar Bears coach Drake Berehowsky said. “They’re playing well; they’re all committed to each other. They all want to do well for each other, and as a coach that’s a great thing to see.”
The Solar Bears will face the winner of the other South Division semifinal between the Florida Everblades and the Jacksonville Icemen, which Florida leads 3-2 after Saturday night’s 5-1 victory in Jacksonville.
If the Everblades finish off the series, they will hold home-ice advantage in the division final.
“Let them play as long as possible,” Fejes quipped. “Both teams are good and they battle hard. We’ve got to make sure we get our rest before starting up the next series.”
Said Berehowsky: “Whoever ready and they’ll be excited.”
It’s the second straight year the Solar Bears have reached the second round. They swept South Carolina in last year’s opening series before falling to the Everblades, who went on to the Kelly Cup finals before losing to the Colorado Eagles.
“It’s tough to compare year to year. Teams are completely different,” said Fejes, who also was part of the Solar Bears’ playoff run last year but spent most of this season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
“We just try to focus on ourselves — our speed, our physicality, keeping it simple. If we play hard and stay disciplined, we’ll have success most games.”
Connor Ingram stopped 28 shots in goal for the Solar Bears, the fourth game this series he’s allowed two or fewer goals. it is, the guys will be
“That was the turning point in the series,” Fejes said. “It was fun, it was exciting. We knew if we could come out on top, we’d have some good momentum moving forward.”
Thompson provided the Solar Bears a 1-0 lead for the third time in the series with a goal at 4:43 of the opening period, taking advantage of a turnover at neutral ice to break into the Stingrays zone. Collecting the puck after Tammela poked it away from Carolina, Thompson broke in on the left and snapped a shot over goalie Parker Milner’s shoulder. It was Thompson’s third goal of the playoffs after also scoring first in Orlando victories in Games 2 and 4.
“Tommer’s goal was a huge goal,” Fejes said. “Something we take pride in is having a good start. We want to make those guys play at our pace.”
Thompson nearly added a shorthanded goal minutes later, one-timing a Fejes pass into Milner’s blocker while the Solar Bears were killing off a double minor against Otto Somppi.
A power-play goal from Fejes doubled Orlando’s lead to 2-0 when he one-timed a pass from Michael Brodzinski past Milner at 10:12 of the period. It was just the second power-play marker for the Solar Bears in this postseason, coming on their 18th attempt. South Carolina needed just 13 seconds of the middle period to pull within 2-1 when Kevin McKernan’s shot from the right circle fluttered through traffic and past Ingram.
The Stingrays might have tied it 6½ minutes later when Stephane Legault’s shot appeared to have struck the back center post and caromed back out — but the red light never came on and the referee made no signal.
Instead, Orlando restored its two-goal advantage on Bourke’s power-play goal at 9:25 of the period. As the Stingrays were in the middle of a line change, Bourke carried into the attacking zone, spun and managed to bank the puck off a South Carolina skate into the net.
A power-play goal from Grant Besse brought the Stingrays back within 3-2 at 17:59 of the period, but Orlando countered just 67 seconds later when Tammela scored in a four-on-four situation just as a penalty to Matthew Spencer expired.
“I feel like I’ve played pretty good every game. I just haven’t been able to get on the scoresheet,” Tammela said. “It felt good to get a goal and a couple of assists. That’s what I expect from myself.”