ESTERO, Fla. — The Florida Everblades completed a sweep of their archrival South Carolina Stingrays, claiming all four possible points with 4-1 and 5-0 victories. 

Florida’s recent surge has seen the club earn points in 10 straight games, posting an 8-0-1-1 mark during that stretch dating back to March 18. The Everblades secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference over the weekend with 104 points and will have home-ice advantage through the first three rounds of the postseason.

No Place Like Home

After a rocky start at Hertz Arena, winning just one of their first five home games and collecting only three points, Florida has been nothing short of dominant on home ice. Since November 8, the Everblades have dropped just two games in regulation in Estero. 

Florida’s impressive run at home includes a stretch of 17 consecutive games earning points, posting a 13-0-2-2 record since January 30. Brad Ralph’s group has not lost in regulation at Hertz Arena since January 28, a 2-0 defeat against Atlanta. 

The Everblades have outscored opponents 59-21 at home since January 31, showcasing their dominance in Estero. Defensively, Florida has been outstanding, holding opponents to two goals or fewer in 15 of their last 16 home games, including three shutouts. Last weekend, the Blades exemplified that strength against South Carolina, allowing just one goal over the two-game set while finishing the regular season a perfect 4-0 against the second-place Stingrays.

Offensively, Florida has surged as well, scoring five or more goals in five of their last six home games. 

When asked about the team’s success at home, Everblades Head Coach/General Manager Brad Ralph praised the fans. 

“Our players love playing here. We feed off our fans’ energy—it provides motivation but also pride to play hard for them. When this building is packed, it’s loud. It’s like having a sixth or seventh man on the ice for us.”

Fan favorite Kyle Neuber echoed similar sentiments when speaking pregame with Camille Frick Saturday. 

“It’s so much fun. When you look up in the stands and the fans are doing the Bonesaw, it’s awesome. These games are a lot of fun to play in. The fans feed off that, and I feed off that.”

Spreading the Wealth 

There has been no shortage of depth throughout Florida’s lineup, which has been battle-tested all season while navigating injuries. Despite a myriad of lineup changes, the Everblades have consistently found different ways to win, receiving contributions from a variety of sources. 

Last weekend, the Blades were without the services of Sam Stange, Hudson Elynuik, Logan Lambdin, and Isaac Nurse up front, yet still generated offense despite missing several key contributors.

Stange and Elynuik have been key drivers of Florida’s attack this season. Stange ranks sixth on the team in goals (16), leads the club with 1.13 points per game, and sits third in the ECHL in shooting percentage (22.9%). Elynuik is seventh on the team in scoring with 32 points and has recorded seven points over his last eight games. 

In their absence, Ben Brar and Kyle Neuber were reinserted into the lineup and provided valuable depth, forming a line alongside Oliver Cooper. Brar appeared in his first games since January 28, while Neuber saw his first action since February 14. The trio connected for a timely goal Saturday, with Cooper finishing the play and Neuber earning an assist.  

On the backend, Riley Bodnarchuk made his professional debut on April 10, adding size to Florida’s blue line at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. The 24-year-old defenseman made an immediate impact, recording his first professional point in the series finale while finishing with a +3 rating. 

Following Saturday’s 5-0 shutout victory, Everblades Assistant Coach Kyle Mountain emphasized the importance of Florida’s balance. 

“That’s huge, and we know that that’s playoff hockey. You need different guys stepping up on a nightly basis, not just your top six or primary producers. To have a variety of lines generating offense is really promising, and we want to keep that going. It’s good for guys to build confidence as well.”

Standout Performers 

Cole Moberg – Opened the scoring in Friday’s victory just 19 seconds into the contest, marking the fastest goal by the Everblades this season. Moberg earned first star honors in the series opener and now has eight points over his last nine games.

Tarun Fizer – Netted goals in both games against South Carolina, finishing the weekend with four points (2g, 2a). The Chestermere, Alberta native recorded three points Saturday, earning second star honors and marking the third time this season he has posted a three-point performance. Fizer ranks fifth on the team with 40 points.

Kyle Betts – Tallied three points (1g, 2a) over the two-game set against South Carolina. The Cornell alum needed just 52 seconds to open the scoring Saturday and added a primary assist on Tarun Fizer’s second-period goal, earning third star honors. His goal marked his first since December 6 at Norfolk.

Kyle McClellan – Backstopped Florida to a 26 save shutout in his first start of the season at Hertz Arena securing first star honors. Since joining the Everblades McClellan is 3-0 with a .952 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average. 

Jordan Sambrook – Continued his strong season, matching Gianfranco Cassaro for the team lead among defensemen with his ninth goal Friday while adding a primary assist Saturday. Sambrook finished the weekend +4 and now owns an ECHL-best +60 rating.

By the Numbers 

The Everblades finished the regular season with a dominant 38-11-5-1 record against South Division foes. Since February 20 Florida has posted a remarkable 19-2-1-1 mark.

The Blades 42 first goals are tied for second most in the ECHL while their .869-points percentage is second-best in the ECHL when doing so. 

Florida’s backend chipped in a pair of critical goals in Friday’s victory marking the second time in four games the Everblades received multiple goals from defenseman in the same game and the third time this season. 

Offensively, the Blades feature six skaters with 15 or more goals this season, tied for fourth most in the ECHL, and nine players with double-digit goal totals, tied for ninth in the league.

Jett Jones snapped a 28-game goalless drought with his first period tally Saturday marking his first goal since January 31 against Atlanta. The Olds, Alberta native has tallied points in three straight games (1g-2a).

Brad Ralph’s group finished the regular 17-0-2-3 in specialty uniforms this season.

Weekly Rewind (2-0-0-0)

Friday: Florida 4, South Carolina 1  | Game Sheet

The Everblades knocked off their archrival South Carolina Stingrays 4-1 Friday night, moving within one point of clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Cole Moberg opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the contest for the fastest goal of the season, while Tarun Fizer restored Florida’s lead later in the first after South Carolina briefly tied the game. Jordan Sambrook extended the advantage in the third, and Reid Duke sealed the win with an empty-net goal. Cam Johnson made 19 saves to earn his league-leading 29th victory.

Saturday: Florida 5, South Carolina 0 | Game Sheet

Florida closed out the weekend in dominant fashion, shutting out South Carolina 5-0 on Fan Appreciation Night at Hertz Arena. Kyle Betts opened the scoring in the opening minute, while Jett Jones and Oliver Cooper added first-period tallies to build a commanding lead. Tarun Fizer recorded a goal and an assist in the win, and Jesse Lansdell capped the scoring eight seconds after Fizer’s second-period goal. Kyle McClellan turned aside all 26 shots he faced to earn the shutout as the Everblades completed the series sweep.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Florida Everblades conclude the regular season with a two-game set against the Reading Royals beginning Friday, April 17 at Hertz Arena. 

Florida has not faced Reading since the 2015-16 season, when the Everblades took two of three games on home ice, earning a pair of 3-2 victories—both in extra time—before falling 2-1 in the series finale. All-time, Florida is 18-12-1-1 in 32 meetings with the Royals. The Blades have also found success against the North Division this season, earning points in all nine matchups (6-0-2-1). 

The Royals have clinched a spot in the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs with 82 points and currently hold a one-point lead over Adirondack for third place in the division. Reading has qualified for the postseason in five of the last six seasons. 

Recently, the Royals have dropped back-to-back games against Wheeling, falling 6-2 Saturday and 2-1 in overtime Sunday. Prior to that stretch, Reading had won six of its previous eight contests. 

Goaltender Yaniv Perets was named Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season after posting a 1-0-1 record with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage in two appearances last week.

Defenseman Ben Meehan leads Reading from the blue line with 46 points in 69 games, tied for eighth among ECHL defensemen, but is currently on recall with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, with the series wrapping up Saturday at 7:00 p.m. On Saturday, the Everblades will honor former captain and two-time Kelly Cup champion John McCarron with a jersey retirement ceremony prior to puck drop.

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