NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - After suffering their first loss last Sunday, the South Carolina Stingrays got back in the win column with a 4-1 victory over the Orlando Solar Bears Friday night in front of 5,402 fans at the North Charleston Coliseum.

Ben Kraws stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced, earning his fifth win in as many starts this season. Jaylen Luypen dished out two assists as four different Stingrays found the back of the net.

“We have to play hard, we have to be detailed," defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka said. “That's what we worked on this week, just having more grit to our game, and I think we did that.”

Just over five minutes in, after the Solar Bears killed off a South Carolina power play, Tyler Kopff buried the rebound from Biakabutuka’s snap shot to open the scoring.

“When you play with these guys, you have to be well positioned, and the puck will be on your stick,” Biakabutuka said. “I was not even expecting to have the pass from [Luypen], but he's such a good player.”

Orlando had a power play in the final three minutes of the period, and despite a shot that rang off the post, the Solar Bears did not find the back of the net, as the Stingrays carried their 1-0 lead into the second frame.

The two sides had been physical all night, but after a spearing attempt by the Solar Bears with 4:27 remaining in the second, Biakabutuka took exception, exchanging blows with Orlando’s Brennan Saulnier along the South Carolina bench.

“I'm not a big fighter,” Biakabutuka said. “It's only my second pro fight. But when you touch one of our skill guys like that, you have to step up, and it got the boys fired up.”

The infraction led to a double minor penalty against Orlando. The Stingrays cashed in on the man-advantage, with a wrist shot from Zack Andrusiak doubling the South Carolina lead, 2-0, which the Stingrays took into the final period.

Just three minutes into the third, two South Carolina penalties gave Orlando a 5-on-3 opportunity. As the first of the penalties expired, Orlando’s Aaron Luchuk got past Kraws on a rebound, making it a one-goal game.

With 8:55 remaining, the Stingrays added an insurance goal off the forecheck when Alex Gaffney fed Cam Morrison in front for the score, making it 3-1 South Carolina.

The Solar Bears had a short-handed 2-on-1 chance in the final five minutes but were shut down at the doorstep by the pad of Kraws. The Stingrays stormed down for a chance of their own but a spectacular effort from Solar Bears’ goaltender Scott Ratzlaff kept the puck out of the net.

Orlando pulled their netminder in the final two minutes, but it was the Stingrays who cashed in as Ludwig Persson sealed the game with an empty-net goal, as South Carolina earned the 4-1 win.

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The Stingrays return to the North Charleston Coliseum on Saturday, November 7, for K-Pop Night, presented by Coastal Kids Dental & Braces, as they host the Orlando Solar Bears at 6:05 p.m. The full schedule can be viewed on our website here.

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