JACKSONVILLE, FL -- the Jacksonville Icemen concluded their 2025-26 ECHL regular season with an electrifying 7-5 victory over the Orlando Solar Bears on Sunday evening at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. In front of a sell-out crowd of 10,176 fans. Craig Martin led the way, netting his first career hat trick in the contest.
Both teams exchanged goals to skate to a 2-2 tied after the first period, but in the second, the Icemen scored three quick tallies to take an apparent 5-2 lead.
Jed Pietila opened that sequence in the opening minutes of the middle frame, followed by a Colby Ambrosio tally three minutes later to put the score at 4-2.
Craig Martin made it 5-2, on his one-time rip from the right circle to pot his second goal of the contest.
It would seem the Icemen were in cruise control, but the Solar Bears shined for the remainder of the period, scoring two more tallies. The fist from Ethan Szmagaj who snuck a shot past a diving Cameron Rowe, while Jarrid Lukosevicius pull the Solar Bears within one at 19:12 of the period.
Orlando’s Aaron Luchuk scored the equalizer to tie the game at five halfway through the third period.
With just over a minute remaining, Newcomer Sasha Teleguine centered a pass to T.J. Friedmann in the slot and snapped a shot past goaltender Dominic Basse for the go-ahead marker with 1:12 remaining. Basse had entered the game in a relief effort in the second period.
The Icemen secured the win and the Martin hat trick with his empty-net goal to give the Icemen the 7-5 victory to close out the season.
Despite falling short of the playoffs, the new-look Icemen team recorded points in 17 of their last 23 game of the season.
Ticket packages for the 2026-2027 season are currently on sale. Call 904-602-7825 for more information, or visit www.jacksonvilleicemen.com
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