SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Ghost Pirates (6-1-0-0) set a franchise record with their fifth consecutive win as they fended off the Orlando Solar Bears (3-3-1-0) by a score of 6-5 on Monday night at Kia Center.
Aaron Luchuk gave the home team the lead at 11:35 following a dominant start from Orlando which saw them outshoot Savannah 13-0 in the early going.
Graham McPhee tied the game with his first goal with the Ghost Pirates at 18:00, capitalizing right as a power play expired for an even-strength marker. McPhee had missed the last five games with a lower-body injury.
Ara Nazarian struck quickly for the Solar Bears in the second period, restoring their lead at 1:03. Then, Savannah rallied for four goals in a 6:17 span, starting with Kyle Jeffers’ power-play goal at 9:18. Jeffers’ third goal of the season was his team-leading second on the man-advantage.
Riley Hughes put Savannah ahead at 10:25, marking his fifth straight game with a point. The 24-year-old ranks first on the club in goals with five.
Liam Walsh added to the high-octane second period, recording his second goal of his young career at 12:25. Walsh has posted four points in his last three games.
Ross Armour also contributed to the middle stanza, blasting a one-timer past Solar Bears netminder Ryan Fanti for his third goal of the season while on a 5-on-3 power play. Orlando took six consecutive minor penalties in the second period.
The Solar Bears attempted a comeback of their own, scoring twice in the first eight minutes of the third period with goals from Djibril Touré and Brayden Low.
However, Reece Vitelli’s shorthanded goal turned out to the game-deciding tally at 9:47. Vitelli produced a goal and an assist on Monday, boosting his point total to 11. The 23-year-old is two points shy of tying the ECHL lead.
Nazarian lit the lamp at 10:39 for his second goal of the game, but Savannah held on and never lost the lead. Evan Cormier kept the Solar Bears at bay with 28 saves en route to his fourth win of the season (4-0). Cormier joins Wichita’s Gabriel Carriere as the lone netminders to win four games so far in 2024-25.
Seven Ghost Pirates players posted two points each in Monday’s win over Orlando: Dennis Cesana, Will Riedell, Vitelli, Hughes, McPhee, Jeffers and Armour.
Savannah went 2-for-8 on the power play and 4-for-6 on the penalty kill. Savannah’s streak of 20 straight kills was snapped in the third period, but they registered their first shorthanded goal of the season on Vitelli’s game-winner.
-GHOST PIRATES-
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