North Charleston, South Carolina – The South Carolina Stingrays secured a narrow 3-2 overtime victory against the Atlanta Gladiators on , at the North Charleston Coliseum, splitting a two-game weekend series. The win comes after the Gladiators defeated the Stingrays 4-2 on .
The decisive goal came from Charlie Combs of the Stingrays, who scored with just 20 seconds remaining in the overtime period. The game was a tightly contested affair, mirroring the previous night’s encounter, with both teams demonstrating strong offensive and defensive capabilities.
The opening period saw a scoreless stalemate, despite the Gladiators registering 13 shots on goal compared to the Stingrays’ 7. Atlanta pressed South Carolina in their own zone for extended periods but were unable to convert their opportunities into a goal.
The Stingrays broke the deadlock early in the second period with a shorthanded goal. Patrick Thomas intercepted a pass and set up Dean Loukus for a breakaway, resulting in a goal at 2:45 of the period. The Gladiators responded swiftly, leveling the score with a goal from Ryan Conroy at 13:32, assisted by Ryan Nolan and Carson Denomie. Cody Sylvester then put the Gladiators ahead at 15:12, capitalizing on a breakaway set up by Alex Young, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games – the longest of any Gladiators skater this season.
The third period witnessed a renewed offensive push from the Stingrays. Despite Atlanta’s efforts to defend their lead, Kyler Kupka managed to tie the game at 2-2 with just 2:02 left in regulation time, forcing the game into overtime.
Both teams fielded the same goaltenders as the previous night: Ethan Haider for the Gladiators and Seth Eisele for the Stingrays. Haider faced 33 shots, while Eisele stopped 27.
Friday’s game saw a different outcome, with the Gladiators emerging victorious 4-2. Alex Young led the charge for Atlanta, recording a professional career-high four points, including two goals and two assists. Young’s performance drove the Gladiators to their third multi-goal comeback victory of the season.
The Stingrays initially took the lead in Friday’s contest with a goal from Romain Rodzinski at 3:42 of the first period, assisted by Patrick Guzzo. However, the Gladiators responded with a dominant second period, scoring three unanswered goals. Lind scored at 8:34, followed by Young at 12:41 and then again at 17:38. Young completed his scoring in the third period at 10:48.
The weekend series highlighted the competitive nature of the ECHL, with both teams demonstrating resilience and skill. The split result underscores the evenly matched contest between the Gladiators and the Stingrays.
The South Carolina Stingrays are affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). This affiliation provides a developmental pathway for players aspiring to reach the highest level of professional hockey. The relationship allows the Avalanche to monitor and assess potential talent within the ECHL, while providing Stingrays players with opportunities to advance their careers.
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league in North America. It operates as a developmental league for the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL). The league comprises 28 teams across the United States and Canada, providing a platform for aspiring professional hockey players to hone their skills and gain experience.
Other notable events within the ECHL on , included announcements regarding team affiliations and league transactions. The league also announced fines and suspensions for various infractions. Updates on league standings and player statistics are regularly published on the ECHL website.
