In a battle between the top two teams in the South Division, Josh Wilkins buried the game-winning goal 59 seconds into overtime to lift the South Carolina Stingrays past the Florida Everblades, 2-1, on Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum in front of 6,070 fans.
After a scoreless first period, Florida (24-8-4-1) struck first nearly nine minutes into the second period. Ben Brar opened the scoring at the 8:59 mark, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. More than five minutes later, the Everblades went on the power play looking to add insurance.
A man down, South Carolina (25-13-1-0) flipped the script and tied the game instead. Simon Pinard forced a turnover in the defensive zone and sprung himself on a breakaway, beating Everblades goalie, Cam Johnson, for a shorthanded goal to make it 1-1 with 5:05 remaining in the second period.
Johnson and Stingrays netminder Mitch Gibson turned aside every other opportunity in the middle frame, keeping the game tied heading into the third period.
Over the final 20 minutes of regulation, the Stingrays and Everblades traded chances, including another Florida power-play opportunity that South Carolina killed off. With Gibson and Johnson both sound in net, the two sides needed overtime to decide a winner.
South Carolina went to overtime for the second straight night and looked for another game-winner. The Stingrays wasted no time finding an answer. Just 59 seconds into the extra frame, Josh Wilkins wired home a snap shot from the high slot, lifting the Stingrays past the Everblades, 2-1.
The win marked South Carolina’s fifth overtime victory of the season. Gibson stopped 26 of 27 shots to earn his eighth win of the year. The Stingrays’ penalty kill went 4-for-4 on the night and has now killed off 33 of its last 34 opportunities.
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South Carolina returns to the North Charleston Coliseum on Sunday, January 25, against the Florida Everblades at 3:05 p.m. for Mascot Mania presented by Publix. The full schedule can be viewed on our website here.
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