Orlando claims playoff berth
Garret Sparks’ 33 saves help Solar Bears blank postseason opponent
The Orlando Solar Bears are heading to the playoffs.
Defender Max Nicastro scored a long goal in the first period Thursday, giving the Solar Bears (37-23-6-4, 84 points) a 1-0 victory against the Florida Everblades (47-16-2-5, 101 points) that clinched their second ECHL playoff berth in three years before an announced crowd of 7,181 at Amway Center.
Garret Sparks made 33 saves for his fifth shutout this season, second in the league behind South Carolina Stingrays goalie Jeff Jakaitis’ six.
“To clinch a playoff spot the way we did was big,” Solar Bears coach Vince Williams said. “They’re excited, but we can’t let off the gas. We can be excited. It’s a big achievement. It ’s a tough division.
“Our goal from Day 1[was to] get to the playoffs and now we need to win a championship. This was a shutout win against a very hard team. That tells me how much they want to be there.”
The Solar Bears will face the Everblades, who have clinched the East Division title, in a best-of-seven firstround series beginning April 17. The teams will conclude the regular season
with games at 7:30 Friday night and 7 Saturday night in Estero.
The Solar Bears are 5-8 against the Everblades this season.
The Solar Bears needed one point, which they could have gotten with a loss in overtime or a shootout, to go to the playoffs as the fourth-place team in the East. The victory gave them two points.
“It ’s a big message,” Nicastro said. “We played great defense today. They did, too, but we really shut them down.”
Nicastro netted his goal from just inside the blue line, which is 64 feet from the goal line, with 6:44 left in the first period. He flipped the puck up slightly so it floated through the air and came down just in time to slide past Florida goalie Allen York.
In the second period, the Everblades attempted six more shots on goal than the Solar Bears.
Florida was unable to score, though, thanks to multiple diving saves by Sparks, including a belly flop midway through the period that stopped three scoring attempts.
Fans rose and cheered as the clock’s fina l seconds ticked down.
“I just really wanted to win that game and clinch the playoffs,” Sparks said. “I didn’t want to leave it to the next two games. Do it on the first try; it’s easier that way. It takes a lot of weight off our shoulders.
“This was a playoff game, and they’re going to continue to be playoff games. Better get used to it, and bring it every game against them.”
The other first-round playoff series from the East Division will feature the Stingrays and Reading Royals.