EVERBLADES STUN SOUTH CAROLINA IN OT AND IMPROVE TO 5-1

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the third time this season, the Florida Everblades rallied from a third-period deficit to claim a win, as the four-time Kelly Cup champions used some late-game heroics to earn a hard-fought 4-3 overtime victory over the South Carolina Stingrays Saturday night at North Charleston Coliseum.

With the Everblades trailing 3-2 in the waning minutes of the third period and the Blades’ net empty, Alex Kile knotted the score at 3-3 with 1:16 to play with his first goal of the season. Colin Theisen, who picked up an assist on Kile’s tally, potted the game-winner just 46 seconds into overtime to close out the Everblades’ fifth win in six games to open the season.

Exactly one week after pitching a stellar 26-save shutout in his Everblades debut last Saturday, goaltender Will Cranley was sensational for a second-straight start, making 35 saves to improve to 2-0-0-0 for the good guys. 

Cranley was busy in the first period, stopping all 11 South Carolina shots he faced in the game’s first 20 minutes. The Blades were outshot 11-5 in the opening frame, but with Cranley’s perfect run in goal continuing, the Everblades and Stingrays took a scoreless deadlock into the first intermission.

Two red-hot netminders, Cranley and South Carolina’s Seth Eisele, matched saves through the midpoint of the second period, before the teams combined for three goals in a five-minute stretch. The Stingrays broke through first on a power-play goal by Andrew Perrott at 10:24, just five seconds into the home team’s first man-up advantage of the second frame. 

With South Carolina leading 1-0, each team would score in a 57-second span. Grant Cruikshank doubled the Rays’ advantage to 2-0 at 14:20, but Colton Hargrove responded quickly for the Everblades at the 15:17 mark. Hargrove banged home a rebound of a Sean Allen blast for his team-leading third goal of season, with Jordan Sambrook picking up a secondary assist. As Hargrove cut South Carolina’s lead to 2-1, the Everblades snapped Eisele’s season-opening shutout streak at just over 155 minutes. Florida was outshot by a narrow 9-8 margin in the middle 20 minutes.

For most of the third period, South Carolina’s 2-1 lead remained intact, but Kyle Betts picked an opportune time for his first goal as an Everblade, as he tied the game at 2-2 with 5:05 left to play. Betts capitalized when the puck bounced off the end boards right onto his stick in front of the South Carolina net and he struck for the equalizer. Logan Lambdin and Kris Myllari were credited with the assists.

South Carolina’s Kyler Kupka regained a 3-2 lead for the home team with 1:37 to play, but with Florida having six skaters on the ice and its net empty, Kile pulled the Everblades even at 3-3, scoring his first goal of the year for the equalizer. Carson Gicewicz and Theisen logged the assists. 

Less than a minute in overtime, Theisen sealed the victory with a shot off the post and into the net, collecting his third goal of the year with Jérémie Biakabutuka picking up the game-winning assist.

South Carolina outshot the Everblades 16-14 in the third period, 2-1 in overtime and 38-28 for the match. Cranley (2-0-0-0) made 35 saves for the Everblades and picked up his second win in as many outings, while Eisele (1-0-1-0) made 24 saves and suffered the loss for the Stingrays.

With a 2-1 road trip in the books, the Everblades will head back to Southwest Florida for a two-game series against the Orlando Soar Bears next weekend at Hertz Arena. The in-state rivalry Friday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. 

On Friday, fans can take advantage of the always popular 239 Friday deal and purchase two tickets, one program and two pizza slices for $39. In addition to an Everblades Lanyard Giveaway courtesy of Arthrex, kids under 12 can eat free at Breakaway Sports Pub. Saturday’s Military Night game will feature a military jersey giveaway courtesy of the National Coalition for Patriots (NCFP), while the Blades will don special military jerseys that will be auctioned with proceeds going to NCFP. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

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BLADES BITS

The scoreless first period marked the first time in six games this season that the Everblades have found themselves taking a 0-0 tally into the first intermission. Neither the Everblades nor Stingrays scored in Friday’s third period and Saturday’s first period, the only two periods of combined scoreless hockey that Florida and its opponents have registered this season.

Will Cranley’s season-opening scoreless streak would come to a close at 90:36, as South Carolina struck for Saturday night’s first goal midway through the second period. 

Colton Hargrove became the first Everblade to score three goals this season, as he opened the scoring for Florida with a maker in the second period. Sean Allen and Jordan Sambrook logged the assists, giving each at least one helper in three different games on the young season.

Colin Theisen recorded two points with the game-winning goal and the game-tying assist, while three other Everblades scored goals and six other Blades registered asissts.

Saturday Night’s Scoresheet

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