Logan Thompson kept the Orlando Solar Bears (5-9-3-1) off the scoreboard with 36 saves to earn his first professional shutout in a 2-0 win for the South Carolina Stingrays (14-2-0-0) on Saturday night at the Amway Center.
South Carolina defensemen Matt Nuttle and Tommy Hughes both netted their first goals of the season in the victory, the club’s 10th on the road this season.
The game stayed scoreless until the final minute of the second period when Nuttle wristed the puck past Orlando goaltender Clint Windsor with just 18 seconds remaining in the frame to make it 1-0. After a save by Thompson in the SC crease, forward Max Novak picked up the puck and rushed up the ice before finding Dan DeSalvo who sent the puck to Nuttle in the slot for the strike.
Thompson was at his best in the third period, helping South Carolina kill off an extended penalty kill after three straight penalties were assessed to the Rays in a span of just 1:17. The netminder finished with 14 saves in the final period.
Hughes sealed the victory with an empty-net goal just before the final buzzer at 19:59 of the third.
Despite a combined 10 power plays in the game, neither club was able to convert on the man-advantage. South Carolina held Orlando to 0-for-4 on the night and finished 0-for-6.
Windsor stopped 35 shots in a losing effort for the Solar Bears. SC had a slight edge in shots-on-goal, 37-36.
NEXT GAMEThe Stingrays and Solar Bears meet up again for another matchup at the Amway Center on Monday night at 7 p.m.
—The Stingrays return home for five games in December! Tickets for all of South Carolina’s upcoming 2019-20 home contests are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
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