KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. - The South Carolina Stingrays tied their franchise win record with their 48th victory of the season on Saturday afternoon. The Rays earned their thirteenth consecutive victory in a 7-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings at the Wings Event Center. Tyler Weiss, Josh Wilkins, Charlie Combs, Justin Nachbaur (2), Jayden Lee, and Romain Rodzinski scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Seth Eisele stopped 22 of 23 shots to earn his 17th victory of the season.
The Stingrays took a 1-0 lead with a goal from Weiss on a feed from Erik Middendorf 13:03 into the first period. Wilkins doubled the lead with 4:40 remaining in the opening period. Wilkins slid a shot past Kalamazoo netminder Hunter Vorva and tallied his 22nd goal of the season. Combs was not far behind him to extend the lead by three. Alexander Suzdalev found Combs with a cross-ice feed that Combs buried into the top corner for his 24th goal of the season.
Nachbaur buried a power play goal 1:37 into the second period. Weiss slid the puck down from the right circle as Nachbaur backhanded it in for his 11th goal of the year. Jace Isley dropped the gloves with Ben Berard for a scrap 7:25 into the second period.
Lee added to the Stingray lead with a shot that went stick side on Vorva, making it 5-0. The goal was Lee’s third tally in his last three games. Rodzinski added another one 12:23 into the second period to make it 6-0 Stingrays. A shot from Weiss went wide, but Rodzinski chipped the rebound into the top left corner to score his eighth goal as a Stingray.
Kalamazoo changed goaltenders to start the third period, with Jonathan Lemieux replacing Vorva. Ryan Naumovski broke Eisele’s shutout with 12:29 remaining in the game. On an odd-man rush, Kalamazoo’s Drake Pilon sent the puck up ice for Naumovski, who lifted it past Eisele for his third goal of the season. Nachbaur tallied his second goal of the game when he beat Lemieux for the Stingrays’ fourth power-play goal of the contest to make it 7-1
South Carolina is back in action next Saturday night as they return to home ice for their final home game of the regular season against the Orlando Solar Bears for Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Amped Electric. The puck drop for that game is set for 6:05 pm. Doors will open at 5 pm, and the first 1,000 fans in the building will receive a Jason Fitzsimmons bobblehead. Parking will be free for everyone.
Additionally, the Stingrays announced yesterday that the team’s first two playoff games will take place at the North Charleston Coliseum on April 18 and 19. Tickets for those games are available for purchase now.
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