Despite a pair of goals in the third period, a three-goal deficit was too much to overcome as the South Carolina Stingrays dropped Game Two of the South Division Semifinals to the Atlanta Gladiators, 4-3, on Saturday evening at the North Charleston Coliseum in front of 5,007 fans. The best-of-seven series is now tied at one.
Atlanta struck early to take the lead on the road. Isak Walther capitalized on the power play 3:31 in, giving the visitors an early 1-0 advantage. South Carolina had chances across the first period to tie the game, but Gladiators’ netminder T.J. Semptimphelter kept the Stingrays off the board in the opening frame.
Early in the second, South Carolina broke through. Jalen Luypen found Charlie Combs in the low slot who snapped home his second goal of the series, tying the game at one.
Following Combs’ tally, Atlanta took control. Jack O’Brien put the Gladiators back ahead by one less than two minutes after the Stingrays tied the contest. Chad Nychuk built Atlanta’s lead to two, 3-1, finishing a two-on-one chance just over the midway mark of the frame. Adam Eisele then deflected a shot past South Carolina goaltender Garin Bjorklund with 4:23 left in the second period pushing the lead to three, 4-1.
In the third, the Stingrays showed no quit. Just over five minutes into the frame, Justin Nachbaur beat Semptimphelter from the slot cutting the deficit to two, 4-2. The Stingrays added another with 4:41 left from Zac Funk, making it a one-goal game, 4-3.
With time winding down in the third, the Stingrays pulled Bjorklund to bring out the extra-attacker with just over two minutes remaining, but could not find an equalizer as Atlanta held on to beat South Carolina, 4-3.
The best-of-seven series now shifts to Duluth, Georgia tied, 1-1. Game Three is on Monday night at 7:10 p.m. from Gas South Arena.