GAME PREVIEW: SC Stingrays vs. Atlanta Gladiators

January 6, 2023 | North Charleston Coliseum | 7:05 PMBroadcast Info: Watch live on FloHockey | Listen via MixlrRadio pre-game coverage starts at 6:45 p.mComplete Stingrays Game Notes

The South Carolina Stingrayscontinue their 2022-23 campaign tonight at the North Charleston Coliseum as the Atlanta Gladiators come to town for a Friday night matchup. The Stingrays have picked up points in each of their last seven games and are now 11-0-2 at home.

LAST TIME OUTThe Stingrays fell in overtime on Wednesday at the North Charleston Coliseum to the Orlando Solar Bears by a final score of 3-2. Bear Hughes and Benton Maass each tallied a goal in the contest for South Carolina, but a third period goal from Orlando forced the extra frame. An odd-man rush in overtime gave the Solar Bears the victory as Clay Stevenson turned back 35 shots in the contest.

ALL-TIME SERIESSouth Carolina has an overall record of 125-67-12-8 in 212 all-time regular-season meetings with the Gladiators. The Stingrays are 2-1-1-1 through the first five games of the season series and will face off seven more times this year. The two teams have squared off in Atlanta for each of the last four contests. Five of the remaining seven games are taking place at the North Charleston Coliseum where South Carolina has the lone win in the season series.

THREE (ALL) STARSA week after Bear Hughes and Brenden Kotyk were named to the ECHL All-Star Classic, Travis Ward was announced as the equipment manager for the mid-season event. With Ward’s appointment, the Stingrays are the only team with three representatives at the ECHL All-Star Classic. Ward is in his second year serving as South Carolina’s head equipment manager following two years as the equipment manager for the University of Alaska – Anchorage.

FORTIN & O’NEIL RETURNAlex Fortin and Kevin O’Neil are back in the Lowcountry after a week-and-a-half stint with the Stingrays’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Fortin appeared in one game with Hershey and O’Neil saw action in his first two AHL games and netted his first AHL goal. O’Neil and Fortin return to South Carolina as two of the Stingrays’ top five goal scorers and point collectors this year.

HUGHES KEEPS FEASTINGBear Hughes enters tonight’s contest on a seven-game point streak after tallying a goal in the Wednesday game against Orlando. Dating back to December 10th, Hughes has recorded nine points on two goals and seven assists to take over the top spot on the Stingrays leaderboard with 29 points in 26 games this year. Hughes leads the Stingrays with 17 assists and is second on the team in goals scored with 13 this season.

Upcoming 5-Game ScheduleSouth Carolina at Savannah – Saturday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m.South Carolina at Atlanta – Wednesday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m.Savannah at South Carolina – Friday, January 13 at 7:05 p.m.Florida at South Carolina – Saturday, January 14 at 6:05 p.m.Florida at South Carolina – Sunday, January 15 at 3:05 p.m.

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