Stingrays Advance to Second Round
photo via The Stingrays
The South Carolina Stingrays upset the ECHL regular season champion Florida Everblades in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Monday with a 3-2 win in Game 5. They’ll face the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the second round.
The Stingrays opened the scoring in the first period thanks to a Dylan Steman tally with 4:11 left in the first period.
Steman with the wraparound to kick us off in Game 5!#RaysUpSC pic.twitter.com/L7Gl0xcb39
— SC Stingrays (@SCStingrays) June 15, 2021
The Rays would take a 1-0 lead to the locker room, but the job was far from done. The Blades scored on the man advantage with 13:18 left in the second to tie the game. Cole Ully would give the visitors the lead once more, a little more than halfway through regulation.
Ully with a wicked wrister to restore the Stingrays lead!#RaysUpSC pic.twitter.com/zjy6jBy7YQ
— SC Stingrays (@SCStingrays) June 15, 2021
The home side responded once more, sending the winner-take-all game down to the final period. The lone goal in the final frame belonged to Ully.
Ully does it again! #RaysUpSC pic.twitter.com/h9bcIxzVeZ
— SC Stingrays (@SCStingrays) June 15, 2021
Goalie Hunter Shepard stood on his head all night for the Rays making 25 saves on the night, including a sprawling save to keep the game tied. In the final frame, the Rays allowed just six shots.
From his stomach, Shepard finds a way!#RaysUpSC pic.twitter.com/q5Y6PaVhAG
— SC Stingrays (@SCStingrays) June 15, 2021
Listen to the final seconds of our Series clinching Game 5 win with the Voice of the Stingrays @jaredshafran #RaysUpSC pic.twitter.com/OK0waBrlwY
— SC Stingrays (@SCStingrays) June 15, 2021
Head Coach Ryan Blair’s thoughts after Monday’s 3-2 win in Game 5!#RaysUpSC pic.twitter.com/ve79MgGLrJ
— SC Stingrays (@SCStingrays) June 15, 2021
The second round series will also be a best-of-five. The series will follow a 1-2-2 format with three of the games being home games for the Stingrays which will take place at the Carolina Ice Palace starting on Wednesday. All games are at 7:05.
Round 2 schedule:
Game 1 Greenville at South Carolina June 16
Game 2 – South Carolina at Greenville June 18
Game 3 – South Carolina at Greenville June 19
Game 4* – Greenville at South Carolina June 21
Game 5* – Greenville at South Carolina June 23
*if necessary