Dan DeSalvo scored twice and Parker Milner stopped 20 shots as the South Carolina Stingrays (17-2-2-0) took down the Orlando Solar Bears (13-7-1-2) for the fifth time during 2019-20 by a final score of 2-1 on Tuesday night at the North Charleston Coliseum.
At 17-2-2-0 overall, the Rays are off to the best start in team history through their first 21 games. The team is at the top of the South Division with 36 points and has the best winning percentage in the ECHL (0.857).
After a scoreless first period in which the Rays outshot Orlando 9-7, South Carolina took a 1-0 lead when DeSalvo scored his sixth goal of the season while on the power play at 11:30 from Matthew Weis and Cole Ully.
Orlando evened the contest at 1-1 just 2:22 later when Tristin Langan found the back of the net at 13:52.
DeSalvo’s second of the night came at 17:08 of the middle frame and turned out to be the game-winner. South Carolina had lots of pressure in the offensive zone and continued firing shots to the Orlando net before defender Tom Parisi made a centering pass that glanced off DeSalvo’s stick and into the back of the cage to make it 2-1. Mark Cooper earned the second helper on the play for his 21st point of the season.
The Rays held the Solar Bears to just six shots on goal in the third period, continuing their impressive defensive effort to seal the win.
DeSalvo’s first tally was the lone power play goal of the night, as SC finished 1-for-3 on the man-advantage while the Solar Bears were held to 0-for-2. Orlando netminder Zachary Fucale turned aside 33 shots in a losing effort for the Solar Bears. The Stingrays outshot Orlando 35-21 overall in the game.
NEXT GAMESouth Carolina is back in action on Friday night in Norfolk to battle the Admirals at 7:30 p.m. The team returns home to face the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for Teddy Bear Toss Night on Saturday at 6:05.
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