Despite scoring three goals in the 3rd period, the South Carolina Stingrays dropped the first meeting of the season to the Savannah Ghost Pirates, 9-4, on Thursday evening at the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.
Savannah (1-0-1-1) opened the scoring with just over four minutes remaining in the 1st period from Riley Hughes’ first goal of the season and took that lead into the 2nd period.
In the middle 20 minutes, the Ghost Pirates scored quickly again, with Robert Mastrosimone capitalizing on the power play 3:50 into the period. Less than four minutes later, Josh Davies added another tally putting the home side up 3-0 with just over seven minutes into the 2nd.
South Carolina (2-1-0-0) answered, coming off a penalty kill with Josh Wilkins scoring his third goal of the season on the breakaway with 9:37 left in the period, but the Ghost Pirates answered with two more goals across the final seven minutes of the frame taking a 5-1 lead to the 3rd period.
The Stingrays did not go away quietly in the 3rd. Almost five minutes into the period, John Fusco wired home his first professional goal 4:52 into the period, cutting the deficit to three, 5-2. Just over two minutes later, Kyler Kupka punched home his first of the year making it a two-goal game, 5-3, with 13:36 left in regulation. South Carolina was not done yet. Romain Rodzinski snapped home his second goal of the year on the power play, making it a one goal game, 5-4, with 11:23 remaining.
Trailing by one, the Stingrays went on the penalty kill before Hughes got his second goal of the night for the Ghost Pirates, building the lead back to two, 6-4. Savannah tacked on three more goals after Hughes’ across the final nine minutes to beat the Stingrays, 9-4.
The Stingrays return to action on Saturday, October 25, against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC.