BLADES OPEN THREE-GAME ROAD TRIP VS. STINGRAYS

WHO: Florida Everblades vs. South Carolina Stingrays

WHERE: North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, S.C.)

WHEN: Friday, January 24 at 3:05 p.m. 

BROADCAST: Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV. 

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ESTERO, Fla. – Fresh off a thrilling two-games-to-one series win over the Savannah Ghost Pirates, the Florida Everblades will head north for three games in three days, starting off with a single contest versus the South Carolina Stingrays Friday at 3:05 p.m. The battle between two of the top teams in the ECHL South Division will serve as a prelude to a pair of games in Georgia against the Savannah Ghost Pirates Saturday evening at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Friday’s contest marks the Everblades’ first game following the ECHL’s annual All-Star Break.

The Everblades enter play coming off an amazing 5-3 comeback win over the Savannah Ghost Pirates on January 18 in the team’s final game before the mid-winter break. Four third-period goals by four different players – Alex Kile, Jesse Lansdell, Colin Theisen and Ben Brar – rallied the Everblades from a 3-1 deficit in the final frame to pull a huge victory in front of the largest crowd at Hertz Arena this season, a throng of 7,584 Southwest Florida hockey fans.

South Carolina enters Friday’s game in second place in the South Division with a 23-10-2-1 record, good for 49 points.  The Stingrays rode a three-game winning streak into the All-Star break with a 5-2 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Sunday. Kyler Kupka leads all South Carolina skaters with 18 goals and 36 points, which ranks among the ECHL’s top-20 point producers. Austin Magera tops all Stingrays with 23 assists. 

The bitter rivals have combined to win seven Kelly Cup championships, with the Everblades claiming an ECHL-record four league championships – including each of the past three – while South Carolina has captured three, but none since 2009.

This season, the teams have split four games. In two games played in the Palmetto State, the Stingrays earned a 3-0 win on November 1, while the Everblades responded with a 4-3 overtime victory the following night. Florida won a second straight game 3-2 at Hertz Arena on December 20, while South Carolina was a 4-1 winner in the teams’ last matchup four days before Christmas.
 

In the teams’ first four games this season, Kyle Betts leads the Everblades with two goals, while Logan Lambdin and Betts are tied for the team lead with three points apiece. Four different Stingrays have four points, with Josh Wilkins leading all players in the series with four goals.

Among ECHL teams, South Carolina is enjoying a strong season on special teams, ranking fourth on the power play, converting at a 24.9 percent clip, and topping the circuit on the penalty kill at 90.4 percent. The Everblades continue to be the league’s stingiest defense, permitting a league-low 1.97 goals per game.
 

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV. Listen to the exciting game action on ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM, 98.1 FM, 104.3 FM, or online at espnswfl.com. Stay up to date by following the Blades on social media with all the latest news, scores, and promotions on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter.