The Jacksonville Icemen earned back-to-back overtime victories, defeating the Orlando Solar Bears 3-2 before beating the Atlanta Gladiators 4-3. Jacksonville rallied from a two-goal deficit against Orlando, then saw a two-goal lead disappear in the third period against Atlanta before winning at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The results gave Jacksonville its first win of the season and a 2-2-2 record for October.
Jaden Condotta delivered both decisive moments against Orlando. The defenseman and assistant captain scored the tying goal on a third-period power play before adding the overtime winner. Condotta entered the game with two career ECHL goals and doubled that total with his two-goal performance.
Condotta completes Orlando comeback
Orlando opened a 2-0 lead early in the second period before Jacksonville responded with a goal from newcomer Jesse Tucker. The Icemen created several quality power-play chances but remained behind through 40 minutes. Condotta tied the game at 2-2 with a late third-period power-play shot from the blue line.
Tucker created another opportunity in overtime by entering the zone on the left side and sending a pass across the crease. Condotta collected the pass on the right side of the net and scored on a tap-in. The goal secured Jacksonville’s first win of the season and the first multi-goal game of Condotta’s ECHL career.
Icemen rally past Atlanta
Jacksonville carried the momentum into its home game against the Atlanta Gladiators. Jacques Bouquot opened the scoring on the power play before Atlanta answered with a power-play goal late in the first period. Tim Heinke restored Jacksonville’s lead with a rebound goal, and Bouquot scored again on a faceoff play to put the Icemen ahead 3-1.
Atlanta erased the two-goal margin in the third period, tying the game with its goaltender pulled. Jacksonville goaltender Michael Bullion made three high-quality saves during overtime to keep the game tied. His final-minute save helped set up a two-on-one rush for the Icemen.
Colby Ambrosio led the rush up the right side and scored high blocker past the Atlanta goaltender. The goal was Ambrosio’s second of the season and gave Jacksonville its second consecutive overtime victory. It also ensured that the Icemen would finish October with a 2-2-2 record.
Roster moves shape Jacksonville’s weekend
Jacksonville lost defenseman Reilly Webb to a recall by the Iowa Wild last week. The Icemen also acquired forward Jesse Tucker in a trade with the Indy Fuel. Tucker, who entered his third year in the ECHL, recorded one goal and two assists in his opening weekend with Jacksonville.
Stephon Thorne previously worked with Tucker in Indy and described the forward’s willingness to contribute in different situations. Thorne said, “He’ll do anything, if you need him to score he’ll score, if you need him to fight he’ll fight… and whatever he does he does it with a passion. He plays with a ton of emotion.”
Jacksonville sets home schedule
The Jacksonville Icemen were scheduled to host the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Tuesday, November 3, at 10 a.m. Savannah entered the matchup after a 7-3 loss to South Carolina and a 4-3 loss to Greenville. The Ghost Pirates had also won their previous two meetings with Jacksonville, taking a 4-3 shootout decision and a 2-0 regulation victory.
Philip Tresca led Savannah with four points, including two goals and two assists. Jacksonville was then scheduled to host the defending Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 6, 7 and 8. The games were scheduled to be available on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Florida ranked second in the South Division after splitting a weekend series with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Florida defenseman Jordan Sambrook ranked third among ECHL defensemen with six points, including one goal and five assists, in six games. Goaltender Cam Johnson ranked fourth in goals-against average at 1.51 and first in minutes with 357.
FSB Take
Jacksonville’s weekend showed two different paths to overtime victories. The Icemen recovered from an early deficit against Orlando and protected the result after Atlanta erased a two-goal lead. The weekend also highlighted Tucker’s immediate offensive contribution as Jacksonville prepared for home games against Savannah and Florida.
Source: Original report