NORTH CHARLESTON, SC- The Stingrays blanked the Worcester Railers 4-0 in front of a season-high 9,108 fans on the team's annual Education Day game. The crowd was the largest school day crowd in Stingrays franchise history. Jacob Graves, Kyler Kupka, Connor Moore, and Josh Wilkins scored for South Carolina, and goaltender Seth Eisele recorded his third shutout of the season with a 24-save performance. The win was South Carolina's fourth consecutive victory.
Graves got the morning started with a shot from the right point that flew through traffic and into the back of Worcester's net. Blake Thompson and Austin Magera assisted the game's first goal.
The Stingrays killed off two penalties in the first period and outshot the Railers 14-9.
South Carolina doubled their lead in the second with a short-handed goal. Micah Miller took the puck deep into the Railers zone and dropped the puck back for Kupka, who beat Worcester netminder Hugo Ollas on his glove side. The goal was Kupka's team-leading 26th of the season.
Just over a minute later, Moore made it 3-0. Tyler Weiss banked the puck around the boards for Moore, who fired it from the right point over Ollas' blocker to triple the Stingray lead.
Late in the second period, Stingrays defenseman Troy Murray provided a spark when he dropped the gloves twice with Worcester enforcer Kolby Johnson. Murray is in his fifth professional season, and this is his first stint in the ECHL.
The Stingrays added one more goal in the third period when Wilkins found the top right corner for his second goal in two games.
South Carolina is back in action this Friday when they host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for Vinyl Night at the North Charleston Coliseum, with the puck drop set for 7:05 pm. Doors will open at 6:05 pm, and the first 1,000 fans in the building will receive a limited edition Stingrays vinyl. Fans can learn more about Vinyl Night here.
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