Besse Nets Two Against Former Team In Rays' 5-2 Win

Grant Besse scored twice, Andrew Cherniwchan registered three points and the South Carolina Stingrays (4-3-0-0) piled up 41 shots on goal in a 5-2 win over the Norfolk Admirals (3-2-0-0) on Friday night at the Norfolk Scope.

The victory evened the teams’ three-game week-long series at one game apiece with the two meeting up once more in Norfolk on Saturday night. Cherniwchan’s shorthanded goal got the scoring started before he added two assists to lead the way on the scoresheet, while Besse also posted seven shots on goal and forward Jonathan Charbonneau picked up two assists as well which was part of five unanswered Stingrays tallies during the second and third period.

SC had the better of the chances in the opening frame and outshot Norfolk 15-5, but neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes.

Norfolk then took a 1-0 lead in the opening minute of the second period when Chris Crane scored 45 seconds in.

But South Carolina fought back and evened the game during a penalty kill. While Nick Roberto was serving a minor penalty for holding the stick, Cherniwchan rushed up the right wing, cut to the front of the net and buried a backhand shot past the blocker of goaltender Ty Reichenbach to make it 1-1 at 9:19 of the second.

Cherniwchan then hit Besse with a pass at the bottom of the left circle and the former Admirals attacker gave the Rays a 2-1 advantage with a quick shot up high over Reichenbach at 18:03. The second assist on the goal was credited to Charbonneau.

South Carolina stepped on the gas pedal in the third period and scored three straight tallies in the first eight minutes to open up a 4-goal lead and distance themselves from the Ads. First, forward Jake Kamrass redirected a shot by defender John MacLeod past Reichenbach for his fourth goal of the season at 3:17 to extend the SC lead to 3-1. Forward Sam Fioretti added the second assist on the tally.

Then Besse and Matt Pohlkamp got on the board just 37 seconds apart from each other. Besse’s second of the night came on a backhand from the bottom of the right circle at 6:32 of the third with assists by Cherniwchan and Charbonneau. Pohlkamp finished off a hardworking effort by Roberto, knocking home his third of the season at 7:09 and pushing the South Carolina lead to 5-1. Forward Tim Harrison registered the second assist on the team’s final goal of the contest.

Norfolk got the last goal of the game from defenseman T.J. Melancon on the power play at 12:56.

Parker Milner earned the victory in between the pipes for the Stingrays with 23 saves, while Reichenbach suffered the loss despite turning aside 36 shots. Melancon’s power play strike was the lone goal on the man-advantage in the contest as Norfolk finished 1-for-5 and the Rays were 0-for-3.

South Carolina wraps up their 3-game series in Norfolk with a rubber game against the Admirals on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Stingrays will return home to the North Charleston Coliseum on Saturday, Nov. 10 for Health and Wellness Night presented by Planet Fitness against the Orlando Solar Bears at 7:05 p.m.

Season tickets are on sale now! For more information or to purchase, contact the Stingrays by phone at 843-744-2248 or visit 3300 W. Montague Ave. Suite A-200 during business hours.