ESTERO, FL. - Thanks to four power-play goals, the Stingrays picked up a 6-2 win against the Florida Everblades at Hertz Arena on Friday night. Jamie Engelbert (2), Micah Miller, Erik Middendorf (2), and Alexander Suzdalev scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Garin Bjorklund stopped 18 of 20 shots in the victory.
South Carolina struck on the power play 13:16 into the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Off the faceoff, Tyler Weiss sent the puck to Blake Thompson, whose wrist shot from just below the blue line was tipped in by Engelbert. Thompson and Weiss assisted on Engelbert's 16th goal of the year.
The Stingrays doubled their lead while shorthanded. After blocking an Everblades pass in the defensive zone, Miller raced to the puck, maneuvered around the Everblades' defense, and tucked in a backhand shot for his 16th goal of the season.
The Everblades cut the lead in half with 5:37 left in the second. Isaac Nurse beat Bjorklund over the glove to make it a 2-1 game.
With just over three minutes remaining in the second, South Carolina added a 4-on-4 goal to re-establish their two-goal lead. Near the offensive blue line, Josh Wilkins muscled his way toward the net and got a shot off. Amid the chaos in front, Engelbert was there for the rebound, scoring his 17th goal of the season. Wilkins earned the only assist.
The Stingrays scored their fourth goal of the night during a power play. Suzdalev dropped the puck to Wilkins, who fed it to a streaking Middendorf. Middendorf roofed a shot for his 17th goal of the year. Wilkins and Suzdalev registered the assists.
South Carolina added another power-play goal, this time on a 5-on-3, less than 90 seconds later. From the blue line, Connor Moore passed the puck to Suzdalev. Suzdalev advanced with time and space, sending a shot off the post and in to make it 5-1. Moore received the only assist.
South Carolina picked up their fourth power-play goal on another 5-on-3 opportunity. Weiss shielded the puck as he skated wide before passing it in front, where Middendorf shoveled home his second goal of the game and his 18th of the year. Weiss and Miller provided the assists.
Florida made it 6-2 with a power-play goal with 47 seconds remaining in the game. Carson Gicewicz tapped in his 20th goal of the season to bring the Everblades within four.
South Carolina wraps up their three-game series against the Everblades on Saturday evening at Hertz Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
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