In the only regular-season meeting between these two teams this season, the Stingrays picked up a 3-1 victory over the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night on I <3 CHS Night. Kyler Kupka and Tyler Weiss (2) scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Garin Bjorklund stopped 27 of 28 shots in the win.
Thanks to a shorthanded goal, Wheeling got on the board first. On a shorthanded breakaway, David Jankowski went backhand to forehand to give the Nailers a 1-0 lead.
The Stingrays would tie the game 6:35 into the second. Connor Moore got the puck to Charlie Combs in the slot, and Combs spun and fired a backhander on net. From the bottom of the right circle, Kupka buried the rebound for his team-leading 23rd goal of the year and his third goal in the last two games. Combs and Moore picked up the assists.
South Carolina would take a 2-1 lead with 2:31 left in the middle frame. Following a penalty kill, Combs knocked down a clearing attempt from Wheeling before finding Weiss in the right circle. Weiss cut towards the net and wired a shot past Nailers’ goaltender Sergei Murashov for his 10th goal of the season. Combs picked up the only assist.
Weiss potted an empty net goal to give the Stingrays a two-goal advantage with his 11th of the season.
South Carolina’s next game is Sunday afternoon against the Jasonville Icemen on Bluey Day. Puck drop is set for 3:05 pm at the North Charleston Coliseum on February 16.
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