GREENVILLE, S.C. – In their eighth meeting this season, the South Carolina Stingrays rallied from a goal down to beat the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 2-1, on Saturday evening at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
After an early tilt less than two minutes into the game between Justin Nachbaur and John Parker-Jones, Greenville (13-13-4-0) used the momentum to open the scoring. Jake Murray netted his second goal of the season 4:11 into the 1st period, putting the Swamp Rabbits ahead, 1-0.
South Carolina (21-11-1-0) could not find an answer in the opening frame, but goaltender Garin Bjorklund settled in, saving the next 10 shots he saw following the goal, keeping the deficit at one going to the middle frame.
In the 2nd period, the Stingrays had multiple chances early, but could not break through until the later stages of the frame. With traffic in front of Greenville’s net, Stan Cooley let a shot go from the slot that was blocked, but the rebound popped right back to the forward who slotted home his fifth goal of the season, tying the game at one. Following the goal, South Carolina pressured but could not find a go-ahead goal, and the two sides went to the 3rd period knotted at one.
The Stingrays started the final frame on the power play and generated chances, but could not find the back of the net. With the majority of the chances early in the period, South Carolina took its first lead of the night just over six-and-a-half minutes in. Cooley blasted a slap shot from the slot that generated a rebound for Simon Pinard to clean up giving the Stingrays the lead, 2-1.
With the one-goal lead, South Carolina pressed for an insurance goal while Greenville searched to tie the game. Bjorklund remained steady in net over the last 13 minutes, saving all 10 shots he faced in the 3rd period, as the Stingrays held on to beat the Swamp Rabbits, 2-1.
Bjorklund saved 32 shots on 33 attempts in the victory for South Carolina, stopping the last 29 shots he saw after the early goal for Greenville. Pinard and Cooley both recorded multi-point games on the evening in the victory.
The Stingrays return to action on Tuesday evening against the Orlando Solar Bears. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. from the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.