Stingrays Weekly Report: January 17, 2022

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays enter the week in 5th place in the South Division after picking up all four possible points last weekend, jumping both Greenville and Norfolk with the back-to-back wins. The Stingrays beat the Admirals both Friday and Saturday before Sunday’s matchup in Greenville was postponed due to inclement weather. The game has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 26th.

This weekend, the Stingrays eye a three-in-three against the Jacksonville Icemen beginning on Friday and Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla. The two teams will return to the North Charleston Coliseum on Sunday to complete the weekend. Entering the upcoming weekend, the Icemen are currently in second place in the South Division at 20-9-2-1 after falling last Friday in overtime to the Atlanta Gladiators. Following these three matches, the two teams only have two more games against each other this regular season. This Sunday will be Ben Holmstrom’s 700th pro hockey game barring any setbacks.

STINGRAYS RECORD:12-18-3-0

LAST WEEK: 2-0-0-0

FRIDAY: SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS 6, NORFOLK ADMIRALS 4(North Charleston Coliseum – North Charleston, SC)

The Stingrays mounted a three-goal comeback and netted five unanswered goals in the third period to overtake the Norfolk Admirals on Friday at home. Justin Florek tied the game at one early in the second period before Norfolk used three straight goals to finish out the second period. Andrew Cherniwchan and newcomer Derek Gentile traded goals in the third en route to victory. Cherniwchan netted his second hat trick of the season while Gentile tallied two goals and an assist in his pro hockey debut.

SATURDAY: SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS 2, NORFOLK ADMIRALS 1(North Charleston Coliseum – North Charleston, SC)

All the scoring on Saturday came in the second period between the two teams with Connor Moore feeding Jade Miller for a shorthanded breakaway goal before precision passing from Gentile and Florek found Ben Holmstrom on the back door, sweeping in the eventual game-winning goal. Ryan Bednard finished the contest with 21 saves on 22 shots on the Stingrays annual Military Appreciation Night.

THIS WEEK

Friday, January 21: at Jacksonville Icemen, 7:00 p.m. (VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena)

Saturday, January 22: at Jacksonville Icemen, 7:00 p.m. (VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena)

Sunday, January 23: vs. Jacksonville Icemen, 3:05 p.m. (North Charleston Coliseum) – Mascot Mania & Skate with the Rays

STINGRAYS LEADERSGoals: 14 – Andrew Cherniwchan Assists: 12 – Patrick HolwayPoints: 24 – Andrew CherniwchanPlus/Minus: Plus-2 – Jake MassiePenalty Minutes: 55 – Alex BrinkShots On Goal: 113 – Justin FlorekWins: 7 – Ryan BednardGoals Against Average: 2.37 – Logan FlodellSave Percentage: 0.909 – Logan Flodell

TOP OF THE LINE PRODUCERSDerek Gentile joined the top line with veterans Andrew Cherniwchan and Justin Florek this past weekend and they didn’t miss a beat. Florek opened the scoring on a power play early in the second period, adding an assist on Cherniwchan’s game-tying goal. Chernwichan and Gentile each recorded a multi-goal game, accounting for all six goals on Friday. Cherniwchan netted his second hat trick of the year while Gentile scored twice and added an assist. Gentile and Florek would each add one more assist in Saturday’s win.

HOLMSTROM’S NEW GROOVEVeteran Ben Holmstrom began the season with six assists in his first 22 games of the year, but has found a scoring touch over the past eight contests. Holmstrom has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last eight games, including his first goal of the season on December 31st in a three-point performance. Holmstrom picked up his first multi-point game of the season on January 7th before netting the game-winner this past Saturday night against Norfolk.

BACK TO JAXFollowing the three games this weekend, the Stingrays and Icemen will have faced off a total of eight times over the course of a 36-day span dating back to Saturday, December 18th. Between then and this upcoming Sunday game, Jacksonville has accounted for more than half of the Stingrays games. Following Sunday’s contest, the two teams will only face off two more times this season with a game in Jacksonville in February before the final game at home on April 6th in North Charleston.

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Tickets for all of the team’s upcoming 2021-22 home contests are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

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Pink Whitney, the presenting sponsor of the Weekly Report, is an exceptionally smooth, great-tasting pink lemonade flavored vodka that’s becoming a favorite of hockey fans across the nation. Enjoy it on the rocks, as a chilled shot, with club soda, or with lemon-lime soda.