SAVANNAH, GA. - The Stingrays put up a 5-3 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Thursday night. Kyler Kupka (2), Connor Moore (2), and Reilly Webb scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Garin Bjorklund stopped 31 of 34 shots in the win.
Savannah struck first, 8:39 into the game. Riley Hughes trickled a backhander past the goal line to make it 1-0 Ghost Pirates.
South Carolina tied the game at one four minutes later on the power play. At the blue line, Connor Moore sent the puck over to Josh Wilkins at the right circle. Wilkins’ pass towards the slot found Kupka on the deflection for his 21st goal of the year and 8th goal on the power play to even the score at one. Wilkins and Moore got the assists.
The Stingrays would take the lead 3:37 into the middle frame. Zac Funk let an initial shot go, leading to a net-mouth scramble in front. Moore found the loose puck and shoveled it home for his seventh goal this season to give South Carolina a 2-1 lead. Funk and Kyler Kupka picked up the assists.
South Carolina doubled their lead with less than five minutes to go in the second period. After a faceoff win by Dean Loukus to Jace Isley, Moore used time and space to get right in front of Keith Kinkaid and put home a backhander to make it 3-1.
The Stingrays increased their lead to three with 90 seconds remaining in the second period. Romain Rodzinski stole an outlet pass from the Ghost Pirates and found Josh Wilkins In the offensive zone. Wilkins sent the puck across to Webb, who wired a shot home for his second goal of the year. Wilkins and Rodzinski picked up the assist, and Rodzinski tallied his first point in a Stingrays uniform.
South Carolina would add a fifth in the third period. Kupka sped the puck up the ice and gave it to Micah Miller, who returned the favor while crossing the blue line. Kupka waited, cutting across the offensive zone before beating Kinkaid for his team-leading 22nd goal of the year and second goal of the game. Miller picked up the only assist.
Savannah added a power-play goal to make it 5-2 with 5:27 to go in the game. Reece Vitelli cut around the Stingray defense and beat Bjorklund over the glove to cut it to 5-2.
Savannah added another power-play goal with just over 2 minutes to go. Devon Paliani found the puck in a net-front scramble and got it by Bjorklund to make it 5-3.
South Carolina’s next game is Saturday night against the Wheeler Nailers. Puck drop is set for 6:05 pm at the North Charleston Coliseum on February 15 for I <3 CHS night.
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