STINGRAYS RING IN NEW YEAR WITH 11-3 WIN OVER SAVANNAH

SAVANNAH, GA. - Thanks to five goals in the second period, the Stingrays snapped their four-game losing streak and ended 2024 on a winning note with an 11-3 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates Tuesday night at the Enmarket Arena. Erik Middendorf (2), Ryan Hofer, Micah Miller, Kyler Kupka (2), Jace Isley, Josh Wilkins, Blake Thompson, Andrew Perrott, and Tyler Weiss scored for the Stingrays, while Seth Eisele made 21 saves in the win.

BOX SCORE

The Stingrays took the lead just three and a half minutes in. After Kupka won a puck battle against the boards, he set the puck to Connor Moore at the blue line. Savannah's goaltender, Cooper Black, stopped Moore's original shot, but Middendorf was there for the rebound to give South Carolina a 1-0 lead. Kupka and Moore assisted Middendorf's 11th goal of the year.

The Stingrays would then strike twice in a little more than a minute. Hofer carried the puck into the office zone and dropped it back for a one-timer from Justin Nachbaur that Black turned aside. After a shot from Perrott was blocked, the rebound came to Hofer, and he sent a wrist shot into the top corner to make it 2-0. Nachbaur and Perrott assisted on Hofer's fourth of the season.

In the neutral zone, Riley Webb backhanded a puck that Austin Magera quickly pounced on. Magera found a streaking Miller in the slot, and he beat Black for his tenth goal of the season to round out a three-goal first period.

The Stingrays started the scoring again in the second period. Behind the net, Middendorf protected the puck on his backhand before getting the puck over to Wilkins, who found Kupka in the slot. Kupka started on his backhand, went to his forehand, and completed a beautiful move to make it 4-0. Middendorf and Wilkins picked up the assists.

Less than two minutes later, the Stingrays turned defense into offense after the Ghost Pirates hit the post. Jordan Klimek put a stretch pass on the tape of Hofer's stick, and Hofer waited for reinforcements before passing it over to Isley. Isley connected to make it 5-0 South Carolina and necessitate a goaltending change for Savannah.  Hofer and Klimek assisted on Isley's second goal in two games.

Two minutes after that, the Stingrays buried their sixth goal of the game. Jayden Lee got the puck over to Wilkins behind the net and made a power move in front before unleashing a backhander that found its way into the net. Lee and Middendorf assisted Wilkins' ninth goal of the year.

Savannah would break the shutout on the power play. After a few saves from Eisele, Kai Schwindt was able to find the puck in a net-front scramble and get it into the net to get Savannah on the board. 

South Carolina would add a seventh on the power play. At the blue line, Moore sent a pass over to Wilkins, who fired a one-timer that was initially stopped. Kupka was right there for the rebound for his team-leading fifth power-play goal of the season. 

A few minutes later, these Stingrays got their eighth of the game. When Evan Cormier attempted to ring the puck around the boards, Thompson blocked the clearing attempt and fired a shot that beat Cormier for Thompson's goal of the year. 

South Carolina would strike again in the third period. Perrott snuck into the open ice on the right as the two teams battled for the puck along the boards. Weiss found him with a cross-ice pass, and Perrott put it home for his sixth goal of the season. Nachbaur and Weiss got the assists.

Savannah would respond just over a minute later to make it 9-2. Entering the zone, Rylan Van Unen swung around wide before finding Schwindt in the slot. Schwindt buried his second goal of the game.

The Stingrays hit the double-digit goal mark for the first time this season on Middendorf's second goal of the game. Immediately after Schwindt's goal, Kupka fought for the puck along the boards and found Middendorf alone in front for the 10-2 tally.

Weiss extended the Stingray lead to 11-2 on a tic-tac-toe goal. In a three-on-two rush across the blue line, Middendorf sent a cross-ice pass to Weiss, who buried the one time for his sixth goal of the year and Middendorf's fifth point of the game.

Savannah would strike one more time on the power play to make it 11-3. Devon Paliani passed the puck to Logan Drevitch behind the Stingrays' net, and Drevitch fed it back to Paliani for a one-timer to beat Eisele.

The Stingrays will be back in action in the new year against the Atlanta Gladiators at Gas South Arena on Friday, January 3 at 7:30 P.M.