Stingrays Weekly Report - December 23

The South Carolina Stingrays are currently enjoying time off during the ECHL’s holiday break after finishing a perfect weekend with wins over Orlando and Jacksonville to extend their league-best winning percentage to 0.865 with a 21-2-3-0 record (45 points). The Rays have now gone over a month without losing in regulation, posting a 10-0-3 record in their last 13 contests dating back to Nov. 22. Saturday night’s win in Jacksonville was also the club’s 14th consecutive road game in which they’ve secured a point in the standings. SC continues to be the best defensive team in the ECHL, allowing just 2.19 goals per contest while maintaining the top goal differential in the league of +38. The Stingrays have been particularly great in the second period of games, outscoring opponents by a combined total of 34-12 in their 26 contests.

After a couple of days off at the start of the week, South Carolina returns to the ice on Thursday night to begin a two-game set in Atlanta against the Gladiators. The Stingrays are back at home to close out a 3-in-3 when they battle the Orlando Solar Bears at the North Charleston Coliseum this Saturday night. The game will be the eighth of 12 contests between the Stingrays and Orlando this season. SC has already secured victories in six of the previous seven matchups.

STINGRAYS RECORD: 21-2-3-0LAST WEEK: 2-0-0-0

FRIDAY: SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS 6, ORLANDO SOLAR BEARS 4(North Charleston Coliseum – North Charleston, SC)Dan DeSalvo scored three times to help the South Carolina Stingrays prevail in a back-and-forth contest by a score of 6-4 over the Orlando Solar Bears and extend their point streak to 12 games on Friday night at the North Charleston Coliseum. DeSalvo’s linemates Max Novak and Mark Cooper also had big nights, with Novak earning four assists, while Cooper had three helpers. Forward Matthew Weis had a goal and an assist in the game and goaltender Parker Milner turned aside 25 shots and stayed unbeaten in regulation on the year (11-0-2).

SATURDAY: SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS 4, JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN 3(Veterans Memorial Arena – Jacksonville, FL)Tim Harrison scored his first professional hat trick and Dan DeSalvo netted the game-winning goal with just 1:04 remaining in the third period as the South Carolina Stingrays came from behind to defeat the Jacksonville Icemen by a final score of 4-3 on Saturday night at the Veterans Memorial Arena. Forward Dylan Steman had his second multi-point game of the season with two assists and goaltender Logan Thompson secured his second straight victory against Jacksonville with 28 saves.THIS WEEKThursday, December 26 at Atlanta Gladiators, 7:05 p.m. (Infinite Energy Center)Friday, December 27 – at Atlanta Gladiators, 6:30 p.m. (Infinite Energy Center)Saturday, December 28 – vs. Orlando Solar Bears, 6:05 p.m. (North Charleston Coliseum)STINGRAYS LEADERSGoals: 12 – Andrew Cherniwchan, Dan DeSalvoAssists: 19 – Dan DeSalvo, Max NovakPoints: 31 – Dan DeSalvoPlus/Minus: Plus-16 – Andrew CherniwchanPenalty Minutes: 29 – Cole UllyShots On Goal: 92 – Mark CooperWins: 11 – Parker MilnerGoals Against Average: 1.79 – Parker MilnerSave Percentage: 0.929 – Parker MilnerDESALVO DOING BIG THINGSForward Dan DeSalvo registered the first hat trick for a South Carolina player during 2019-20 on Friday night, scoring twice in the first period before netting his third goal of the game in the second during a 6-4 win over Orlando. The Rolling Meadows, Illinois native followed up the performance by scoring the game-winning goal the next night in Jacksonville with just 1:04 remaining. In his past six games, DeSalvo has totaled 10 points on seven goals and three assists. Overall, he leads the club in scoring through 26 games with 31 points on 12 goals and 19 helpers along with a +12 rating.HARRISON’S NATTY HATTYForward Tim Harrison broke out on Saturday night, scoring a natural hat trick to lead SC to a win over Jacksonville. It was the Duxbury, Mass. native’s first hat trick of his professional career in his 151st game. The only other 3-point outing he’s had was a three-assist performance against Kansas City on March 19. Harrison now has six points in 18 games this year on four goals and two assists along with a +5 rating.

NOVAK’S REVENGEForward Max Novak has absolutely shredded his former club, the Orlando Solar Bears this season. Most recently in his seventh outing against Orlando since joining the Rays, Novak registered four assists in a 6-4 win for SC. The Oak Ridge, N.J. native’s last four-point game also came against the Solar Bears when he had two goals and two assists on Nov. 3. Novak had his fifth helper of the weekend Saturday night in Jacksonville on the game-winner by Dan DeSalvo. He now has 24 points in 26 games this season (5g, 19a).KLIMEK COMING INTO HIS OWNDefenseman Jordan Klimek scored his second game-winning goal of the season during the third period Friday night to help defeat Orlando. The tally was the Langley, B.C. native’s fourth of the year. He followed up the performance the next night in Jacksonville with the primary assist on Tim Harrison’s third goal of the game in the third period. Klimek now has points in four of his last five outings and nine total on the year in 18 games. As a rookie last season with Kansas City, Klimek earned 18 points in 66 games.

—Tickets for all of the team’s upcoming 2019-20 home contests are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

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