NORTH CHARLESTON, SC. - The Stingrays picked up a point in a 3-2 overtime loss against the Savannah Ghost Pirates in front of 5,000+ fans on Sunday afternoon at the North Charleston Coliseum. Kyler Kupka and Jace Isley scored for the Stingrays, while Ryan Kenny made 24 saves in the loss. Savannah’s Devon Paliani scored the overtime winner and Reece Vitelli scored twice for the Ghost Pirates while Savannah goaltender Cooper Black turned aside 40 of 42 Stingray shots.
Vitelli made it 1-0 Ghost Pirates with a nifty breakaway goal 11:58 into the opening period. The Stingrays tied it up three minutes later on a power play tally by Kupka. The goal was Kupka’s 11th tally of the year and his fourth power play goal of the season.
The lone goal of the second came off the stick of Vitelli, who buried a power play goal through the five hole of Kenny to make it 2-1 Savannah.
Isley tallied the equalizer for the Stingrays 1:50 into the third period. The Grand Prairie, Alberta native drove the net and followed up an Austin Magera shot to bury his first goal as a Stingray. The Stingrays and Ghost Pirates went to overtime tied at two.
Paliani secured the extra point for the Ghost Pirates when he wired a slap shot into the top left corner for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
The Stingrays are back in action against the Ghost Pirates on Tuesday, December 31 at Enmarket Arena in Savannah at 5:00 pm.