South Carolina Stingrays

Stingrays Week 22 Recap: One Last Time

The Stingrays did yoga last week. (via the Stingrays)

With first place in the conference within reach, the South Carolina Stingrays got two much needed returns for their lineup: goaltender Mark Dekanich and forward Derek DeBlois. Both returned from duty in the American Hockey League in time to battle Atlanta and close out the season series with South Division rivals Orlando.

With the Gladiators desperate for a playoff spot, they came into the North Charleston Coliseum ready to fight in more ways than one. Their chippy play baited the Stingrays into 77 penalty minutes, but it was not enough to win the game.

DeBlois scored past the halfway point of his opening period back with the Rays. His sixth ECHL goal and ninth overall this season with South Carolina and Lake Erie gave the home side a lead they would not relinquish.

After Kelly Zajac and Stephan Vigier tallied on the power play in the middle frame, Atlanta switched battle tactics. The new strategy called for rough stuff after each whistle in efforts to goad the Rays into penalty trouble.

Eventually, goaltender Vitek Vanecek got run over and the gloves were off. When the ice settled, Bobby Shea was escorted to the locker room for being the third man in on one of two fights in the immediate aftermath. Joey Leach, Brandon Magee, and Trevor Gillies joined him in the room before the final whistle.

Thomas Frazee and Jacob Bolton got Atlanta on the board with the late power plays, but the Rays held on for their eighth and final win against the Gladiators this season.

With a +/- rating of 13, Joey Leach was named AMI ECHL Plus Performer of March. He went even or plus for all 11 Stingrays games over the month, garnering four points (two goals, two assists) at the same time.

As the calendar turned, the Wheaton Whip Crack did not in fact become the new affiliate of the Washington Capitals, but the ECHL did announce a “new team” in Hawai’i. This April Fools prank is now deleted from the league website.

The next match with the Orlando Solar Bears, however, was no joke. Dekanich and Rob Madore dueled at opposite ends, keeping the game to a 2-1 game for the home side.

DeBlois scored again (PP) in the first period for the lead and Dekanich turned aside the 20 Solar Bears shots through two periods to keep the lead.

Rylan Schwartz’s 21st of the year brought the game even once again early in the third. Patrick Gaul won a loose puck battle and split the Orlando defense before turning a backhand over Madore for the game winner.

Four first period goals from Orlando on the Saturday rematch had Fan Appreciation Night off to a sour start. Mark Louis, Eric Faille, and Jack Rodewald (PP) had the visitors in front before Colton Saucerman, in his first game on an Amateur Tryout Agreement, scored his first ECHL goal.

Saucerman comes to the Rays after a miracle run to the Hockey East Championship with the Northeastern Huskies this year. The senior defenseman played all 40 games, matching his career high in points with one goal and two assists in the series clinching game against Notre Dame in the conference quarterfinals. The Huskies bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round with a 6-2 loss to North Dakota.

Brenden Miller added another goal for Orlando before the horn sounded on the first period. After 10 first period shots, the Solar Bears did not reach 10 over the rest of the game.

Austin Fyten and Caleb Herbert added late second period goals and Herbert scored again early in the third to force an extra frame of hockey.

Miller beat Vanecek again to hand South Carolina the overtime loss. The Stingrays last lost in regulation came against the Florida Everblades on February 28th, going 9-0-3-1 in the 13 games since.

NEXT WEEK

Three games await the Stignrays before they can focus on the playoffs. A mid-week battle with Atlanta and a Friday/Saturday series with Norfolk, all on the road, remain in the regular season.

CURRENT STANDING

69 games played, 41-18-7-3 (W-OL-OTL-SOL), 92 points, 1st in South Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference

Max Wolpoff

Churchill High School graduate (2015) and current Boston University journalism student. Follow me on Twitter (@Max_Wolpoff) for game-day tweets or my random musings about being a college student.

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