NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays picked up a 5-2 victory over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday night. Jayden Lee, Grant Cruikshank, Tyler Weiss, Erik Middendorf, and Alexander Suzdalev scored for the Stingrays, while Seth Eisele made 25 saves in the win.
Lee beat Greenville goaltender Dryden McKay for the game-opening goal. A rush from Jamie Engelbert set up Josh Wilkins, who set up Lee with a cross-ice pass. Lee buried a wrist shot over McKay's left shoulder for the first goal of his professional career. After 20 minutes, the Stingrays held a 1-0 lead.
The Stingrays lit the lamp four times in the second period. Grant Cruikshank struck early in the second with a slapshot past McKay 1:13 into the middle frame. After Andrew Perrott and Greenville's Arvid Caderoth had dropped the gloves, both headed to the box for fighting majors with Caderoth getting an additional slash minor. Right as the slashing penalty expired, Suzdalev found Weiss, who put the Rays up 3-0 with a quick shot from the slot. Thirty-four seconds later, Greenville's Tate Singleton trimmed the Stingray lead to 3-1 with his first goal of the season, with assists going to Lawrence and Pedersen.
15:18 into the second period, Middendorf restored the three-goal lead for South Carolina. Austin Magera ripped a one-timer from the right circle, and Middendorf batted the loose puck out of the air and into the open net to make it 4-1 Stingrays.
Suzadalev made it 5-1 shortly after, collecting a centering feed from Engelbert and quickly whacking it into the back of the net for his third point of the night. After the goal, Greenville made a goaltending change, relieving McKay and putting Jacob Ingham between the pipes.
The lone goal of the third period came off the stick of Greenville's Brent Pedersen, who cut the score to 5-2. That score held, and the Stingrays earned their fifth win of the season.
The Stingrays will face the Jacksonville Icemen tomorrow at 7:00 pm in Jacksonville.
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