The Stingrays stretched their winning streak to 11 games with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win against the Jacksonville Icemen at the North Charleston Coliseum in front of 6,421 fans on Sunday afternoon. Alexander Suzdalev (2), Jayden Lee, Romain Rodzinski, and Jordan Klimek scored for the Stingrays, while goaltender Garin Bjorklund made 25 saves in the victory. The Stingrays are in first place in the ECHL with 97 points.
The Stingrays struck first 12:23 into the game. Following a keep-in at the offensive blue line from Austin Magera, a cross-ice pass from Magera went right onto the stick of Suzdalev, who one-timed it home for his 13th goal of the season. Magera and Rodzinski picked up the assists.
Jacksonville tied the game with just 48 seconds to go in the first. Chris Grando pulled the puck to his backhand and beat a sprawled-out Bjorklund to tie the game at one.
South Carolina retook the lead 6:23 into the 2nd. Tyler Weiss stopped the puck behind the net and transitioned from backhand to forehand before sending the puck to the slot to a wide-open Lee. Lee wired a shot home to give the Stingrays a 2-1 lead. Weiss picked up the only assist.
Jacksonville didn’t take long to respond, tying the game 26 seconds later. Ty Cheveldayoff was able to sneak one past Bjorklund from the point to tie the game at two.
South Carolina took a 3-2 lead 8:14 to the 2nd period. Gaining the puck back from the Icemen, Suzdalev danced at the top of the zone before getting free and eventually finding Rodzinski to his left. Roszinski skated left and fired a shot through traffic and in for his seventh goal of the season. Suzdalev and Erik Middendorf picked up the assists.
The Stingrays would double their lead just 1:26 later. From the goal line, Charlie Combs sent the puck back to the blue line for Connor Moore. Moore fed the puck across to Klimek, and Klimek sent a wrist shot through traffic to make it 4-2 Stingrays. Moore and Combs picked up the assists on Klimek’s third goal of the season.
The Iceman pulled to within one 35 seconds later. Christopher Brown tipped in a Noah Laaouan shot to make it 4-3.
Jacksonville tied the game once again with 8:33 left to go in regulation. Olivier Nadeau finished off a pass to the slot while falling to the ice to tie the game at four.
The Stingrays picked up the win, their 11th in a row, with just over four minutes left to go in overtime. Suzdalev spun around the offensive zone before finding Rodzinski at the blue line. Rodzinski waited before returning the puck to a charging Suzdalev, who put it home for his second of the game. Rodzinski and Lee picked up the assists on the OT winner.
South Carolina’s next game is Friday, March 25, at the Wings Event Center against the Kalamazoo Wings. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm. The Stingrays have one more home game this regular season on Saturday, April 5, at 6:05 pm. The theme for that game will be Fan Appreciation Night and the first 1,000 fans to arrive will receive a Jason Fitzsimmons bobblehead.
Click here to purchase tickets for any Stingrays home game this season.
