Orange County team falls short in hockey final

MAITLAND — After a 3-2 shootout win against No. 3 seed Jacksonville in the June 4 semifinal, No. 2 seed Orange County advanced to the Central Florida High School Hockey League Championship for the second consecutive season.

And for the second consecutive season, Orange County was the runner-up.

This time, in a June 13 game at the RDV Ice Den in Maitland, Orange County lost 6-2 to No. 4 Seminole County.

Mason Ledbetter, the playoff MVP, had three primary assists and three goals, including the game-winner at 10:58 of the second period, the only lead of the game for Seminole County.

On that play, a shot from teammate Thomas Wray squeaked through the pads of Orange County goalie Blake Carlson, and Ledbetter pounced on the rebound to make it 3-2 going into the third period.

It was one of several shots Carlson — the league’s All-Star goalie with the top save percentage — would want another try at, as his 22 saves on 27 shots totally contrasted with his 42 saves on 44 shots in the semifinal.

From there, Ledbetter scored a pair of power-play goals in the third: He sneaked a wrist shot from the half-wall under the arm of Carlson at 6:49 and then scored an empty-net goal with 41 seconds left to complete his hat trick.

Penalties caught up with Orange County: They garnered 20 penalty minutes to Seminole County’s four, allowing three power-play goals.

But through the first half of the game, Orange County seemed to have command, outshooting Seminole County throughout the game.

Captain Dillon Scammon started the scoring with a goal 12 seconds into the game, potting a rebound off Mitchell Quatrale’s redirect of a pass from Cameron Cippolone.

Seminole County tied the game midway through the first on its lone power play of the first two periods, but Orange County regained the lead five minutes into the second.

Zack Smith sent Nolan Dickerson up the right wing with a lead pass, and Dickerson streaked past a defender to the right faceoff circle, where he flicked a wrist shot between the legs of goalie Kiefer Gourdie for a 2-1 lead.

But Gourdie would let in no more of the 32 shots he faced, stoning Orange County on several flurries.

At 10:04 of the second period, Seminole County crashed the net, and Ledbetter passed across the slot to Landon Gatz, who smacked in the tying goal to swing the momentum to Seminole County for five unanswered.

Orange County finished its regular season with 14 points in 10 games — most in the league, according to the league website — winning seven games, also the most in the league.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].