ESTERO, FL – Anthony Peters turned aside 34 of 35 shots faced to help guide the Florida Everblades (24-7-1-2, 51 pts) to a 3-1 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays Wednesday night at Germain Arena. Florida extends its win streak to four games, while snapping a seven-game win streak by South Carolina.
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It took less than two minutes for the Everblades to get on the board. Clark Bishop picked up the puck off a South Carolina turnover and cruised down the slot. After a deke move, Bishop angled the puck past goaltender Parker Milner to put Florida on top 1-0.
The Everblades extended their lead to 2-0 when Alex Kuqali led a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush into the offensive zone. Kuqali skated into the zone on the left wing side and delivered a pass across the slot to Evan Bloodoff. Bloodoff then hammered the puck on a one-timed shot that ripped into the South Carolina net for the tally. The goal was the seventh shorthanded marker scored by the ‘Blades this season.
The Stingrays got on the board in the final minute of the opening frame when Patrick Gaul blocked a shot at the point near the end of a penalty kill. Gaul’s blocked shot deflected out to center as the penalty to Steve McParland expired. McParland exited the penalty box, grabbed the puck and took off on a breakaway chance. McParland made a deke move and then slid the puck under the leg pad of Florida netminder Anthony Peters to cut the Everblades lead to 2-1.
Florida grabbed a little breathing room at 8:36 of the second period when Brendan O’Donnell’s shot from just outside the slot clipped past a screened Milner who never even saw the shot. O’Donnell’s team best 22nd goal of the season put Florida on top 3-1 after two periods of play.
The Stingrays outshot the ‘Blades in the third, but Peters turned aside everything thrown his direction to secure a 3-1 Florida victory.
Peters earns the win stopping 34 of 35 shots, while Milner takes the loss allowing three goals on 26 shots faced. With an assist in the game, Florida forward Brant Harris extended his point streak to 13-games which ties a league high this season.
The two teams will meet again this Friday (Jan. 13) at Germain Arena with a 7:30 p.m. start time. Promotional information listed below.Upcoming Home Games & PromotionsFriday, January 13 vs. South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. – Kids eat FREE in the Breakaway Sports Pub with the purchase of an adult entree!
Saturday, January 14 vs. South Carolina, 7:00 p.m. – Canadian Night presented by TD Bank. Poutine and Labatt Blue specials will also be available! Pregame tailgate from 5-7 p.m. featuring live music and bounce houses. A great night to bring the kids!
Friday, January 20 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m. – Americana Night, present by Thompson Family Law! Kids eat FREE in the Breakaway Sports Pub with the purchase of an adult entree!
Ticket Information
Game Tickets: Everblades tickets may be purchased at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet, or online atwww.ticketmaster.com2016-17 Season Ticket Plans Now Available! Full and flexible partial season ticket plans are currently available for the 2016-17 season. We offer several tickets packages designed to help fit your budget and schedule.Special Offer! Purchase any new ticket package for the 2016-17 season, and receive an Everblades jersey t-shirt and a $20 gift card from Ford's Garage! Locations include Cape Coral, Downtown Fort Myers and Miromar Outlets in Estero.
Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price, and you may also receive an Everblades souvenir! Group tickets are available for all home games. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825.
This release courtesy of Fort Myers Technical College & Cape Coral Technical College
The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###