South Carolina Stingrays

Series Moves Back to Toledo as Stingrays Fall 5-4 in OT

Vin Duffy, via the Stingrays

The Stingrays again failed to close out the Toledo Walleye, falling 5-4 in overtime on Saturday. Toledo scored two goals on 11 shots in the third period, overcoming a 4-2 South Carolin lead going into the third.

Derek DeBlois led the charge for South Carolina, providing a fight in the early first period, two goals, and two assists. Wayne Simpson continued his point streak with two assists and captain Andrew Rowe added another goal.

Stingrays goaltender Jeff Jakaitis had 22 saves while Walleye goalie Neil Conway made 30, including nine through the third and OT. Conway allowed no goals after the second period, giving the Walleye the chance they needed to come back.

Toledo’s Martin Frk, adding to his first period tally, and Jared Nightingale scored in the third to force OT. Frk completed the hat-trick to win the game. That was his second hat-trick in the three games at the North Charleston Coliseum.

Game 6 will be Tuesday night at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. For the Stingrays, most of the scoring came from the starting line of Rowe-DeBlois-Simpson. The defense has yet to solve Martin Frk; they will need to if the Stingrays hope to win the series.

South Carolina has been “one win away” for two games now. Tonight’s game proved why the Walleye were the best team in the regular season at 50-15-7, including a 3-1 mark against the Stingrays. South Carolina won both games in Toledo to start the series, but Toledo now holds the momentum. Without a solid defensive effort, the Stingrays could be looking at a seventh game.

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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