NORTH CHARLESTON, SC. - The Stingrays fell to the Orlando Solar Bears 6-2 in game six of their best-of-seven first-round series in the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs presented by Neal Brothers.
The best-of-seven series is tied at three games apiece. There will be a game seven at the North Charleston Coliseum on Tuesday, April 29, at 7:05 pm. Fans can purchase tickets for game seven here.
Ryan Hofer and Jayden Lee scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Mitchell Gibson made 23 saves on 28 shots.
Orlando struck first with a wrist shot by Spencer Kersten. Reece Newkirk found Kersten with a cross-ice feed to give Orlando a 1-0 lead 11:13 into the first period. Thirty-four seconds later, the Solar Bears doubled their lead with an unassisted goal by Anthony Bardaro, who intercepted a pass as the Stingrays were trying to clear the puck out of the zone. Bardaro buried a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
The Solar Bears went on a five-minute power play with Tyler Weiss in the box with a major penalty for spearing. Bardaro scored his second goal of the game when he collected a feed from Aaron Luchuk and buried a power play goal past Gibson to give Orlando a three-goal advantage.
The Stingrays got on the board late in the first period with a shorthanded goal from Hofer. Andrew Perrott entered the zone and found Hofer for a quick wrist shot past Orlando goaltender Jon Gillies.
Alex Frye regained the three-goal advantage for Orlando with a backhand shot that beat Gibson 7:39 into the second period, making the score 4-1. Newkirk and Kersten earned the assists.
South Carolina cut into their deficit with a second shorthanded goal midway through the period. Lee entered the zone and ripped a shot from the right circle past Gillies to make it a 4-2 game.
Orlando’s Tyler Bird scored 1:45 into the third period. Aaron Luchuk and Bird executed a give-and-go, and Bird tapped the puck into an open net to extend Orlando’s lead to three.
Kersten added an empty net tally to make it a 6-2 final and tie the series at 3-3.
The Stingrays will be back home at the North Charleston Coliseum with the deciding game of the best-of-seven series against Orlando this Tuesday at 7:05 pm. Fans can purchase tickets for game seven here.
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