NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays remain unbeaten on the season after defeating the Savannah Ghost Pirates, 7-3, in their return home on Friday night in front of 4,223 fans at the North Charleston Coliseum. 

The Stingrays scored a season-high seven goals while recording a power-play goal in their fifth straight game to open the season. The teams combined for five goals in a hectic second period, and seven South Carolina skaters recorded multiple points on the night. 

“We were just playing hard,” Alex Gaffney said. “We were playing fast, we were playing quick in transition. We've got very skilled guys, so the goals were going to come.”

Nine minutes into the opening frame, Josh Wilkins received a breakout pass, deked past a defender and ripped in the first goal for the Stingrays. It only took seconds for the Ghost Pirates to respond, when a rush into the South Carolina zone led to a flurry in front of the net and a tip in goal, tying the game at one. 

In the final minute of the period, Gaffney finished a cross-crease feed from Kyle Jackson for his first professional goal, which gave South Carolina a 2-1 lead entering the second period.

“It was awesome,” Gaffney said. “A lot of hard work. It was a great pass by Jackson, and Wilkins as well on the line, so I'm glad I got it.”

With the Ghost Pirates on the power play less than three minutes into the second frame, Savannah’s Philip Tresca got past Ben Kraws for the game tying goal — the first power-play goal conceded by the Stingrays this season.

South Carolina had its turn on the power play minutes later when Zack Andrusiak ripped a slapshot that knocked off the left shoulder pad of Ryan Sandelin and into the net, putting the Stingrays back in front, 3-2. Just 20 seconds later, Jackson was left open in front of the cage and scored, extending the South Carolina lead to two. 

Savannah responded quickly with a tally from Max Dorrington just over a minute later, finishing with a backhand goal, cutting the Stingray lead back to one, 4-3.

With just over five minutes remaining in the period, Tyler Weiss broke loose for a breakaway and scored to make it 5-3 South Carolina. The Stingrays had two more breakaway chances and a power play immediately following the goal, but the lead remained at two entering the final period.

Four minutes into the third, Weiss fed Josh Prokop from behind the net to give him his first goal as a Stingray with the lead growing to three. Prokop would add on his second goal of the night with three minutes remaining, capping off the offensive onslaught from the Stingrays and a 7-3 victory over Savannah.

“Whenever you start undefeated, especially 5-0, you can't ask for anything better,” Gaffney said. “We just got to keep going.”

Kraws remains undefeated in all four of his starts in net, making 25 saves on the night. South Carolina opens its season with five straight wins for the first time since the 2002-03 season. 

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The Stingrays return to the North Charleston Coliseum on Sunday, November 1, for Scooby Doo Day/Undie Sunday, presented by Gildan, as they host the Atlanta Gladiators at 3:05 p.m. The full schedule can be viewed on our website here.

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