NORTH CHARLESTON, SC. - The Stingrays earned their ninth consecutive victory in a 5-1 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in front of 5,644 fans at the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday night. Charlie Combs, Micah Miller (2), Dean Loukus, and Tyler Weiss scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Seth Eisele stopped 30 of 31 shots.
The Stingrays took an early lead with a goal from Combs three minutes into the contest. Loukus stole the puck at center ice and passed it to Josh Wilkins, who sent Combs in alone on a breakaway. Combs beat Greenville goaltender Pierce Charleson with a blocker-side shot for his 20th goal of the season. Miller doubled the lead with his 20th goal of the season. Combs sent the puck off the boards down the ice as Miller raced to it and beat his defender before chipping in a top-shelf shot past Charleson.
Justin Nachbaur and John Parker-Jones started the second period with a scrap 13 seconds into the middle frame. Loukus tallied his second goal in his last three games with a wrist shot from the point that went just under the crossbar. Carter Savoie put the Swamp Rabbits on the board late in the second period with his 20th goal of the year. Eisele made the initial save, but Savoie buried the rebound.
Greenville pulled the goalie with two minutes remaining for an extra attacker. Miller quickly took advantage to score an empty net goal for his second of the game to make it 4-1. Less than a minute later, Weiss sent home a slap shot from the slot to make it a 5-1 final score.
South Carolina is back in action on Saturday night, as they hit the road to take on the Jacksonville Icemen at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena at 7:00 pm. The Stingrays will face the Icemen again on Sunday at the North Charleston Coliseum at 3:05 pm.