Florida Scores 3 Shorthand Goals, Defeat Rays 4-2

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC –The Florida Everblades scored three shorthanded goals to defeat the South Carolina Stingrays 4-2 at the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday night.

The Stingrays stung first, receiving a goal from Daniel Koger at 8:30 into the first period. Koger set up at the top of the crease and received a pass from behind the Florida net. Koger batted the puck past Everblades goaltender Pat Nagle to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.

Florida countered on the power play. Taylor Ellington fired a wrist shot from the point which was tipped and redirected in front of the net by Mathieu Roy. Roy’s tip steered the puck past Stingrays netminder Shawn Hunwick. Florida grabbed the lead at 18:38 of the first period with a shorthanded marker.

Matt Marquardt led a 2-on-1 rush into the zone on the right wing side. From the circle Marquardt called his own number beating Hunwick with a wrist shot low on the blocker side. The goal gave Florida a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.

The Everblades continued their shorthanded magic in the second period, as Dan Milan was accessed a penalty early in the period. On that ensuing penalty kill, Trevor Bruess picked up the puck on a turnover in the Stingrays end. Bruess curled to the right wing circle and snapped a shot high past the glove of Hunwick for the shorthanded goal to extend the Florida lead to 3-1.

Nearly 45 seconds later, the Everblades would again take advantage of a South Carolina mistake. The Blades grabbed the puck at center and led another shorthanded 2-on-1 rush into the zone. Brandon MacLean carried the puck to the circle and slid a pass across to Aaron Bogosian. Bogosian lifted the puck into the net past an outstretched Hunwick to put the score at 4-1, a lead in which the ‘Blades would take into the second break. The goal was the third shorthanded tally for Florida in the game.

Tyler Randell scored with a shot from the slot a minute into the third period to pull the Stingrays within two. However, the South Carolina rally would be quelled with solid goaltending by Pat Nagle who made all of the key stops down the stretch to seal the 4-2 win for Florida.

Nagle earns the win stopping 25 of 27 shots faced, while Hunwick take the loss allowing four goals on 23 shots faced.

The Everblades three shorthanded goals in the game fell just one shy of tying the ECHL record of four, which was set by the Everblades back on January 5, 2007 against Charlotte.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the North Charleston Coliseum. Florida’s next home game is on Friday, November 30 against Greenville. The two teams will meet again on Saturday, December 1, which is the annual IBERIABANK Teddy Bear Toss game. Bring a stuffed animal to throw onto the ice after the Blades score their first goal.

The Capital Bank Box Office is open Monday thru Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fans may also call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or order online atwww.ticketmaster.com

Season ticket packages are currently available, for the remaining 28 home games. Partial-season packages start as low as $150, and offer a flexible option for fans. For more information on all available packages, call the Everblades office at 239-948-7825, or purchase tickets online.