NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina – The South Carolina Stingrays (35-24-4-3) scored the first three goals of the game and never looked back as they defeated the Cincinnati Cyclones (30-25-2-7) by a 4-2 final score in front of 4,906 at North Charleston Coliseum on Saturday night.
South Carolina broke the scoreless tie at 10:36 of the opening period as Phil Oreskovic’s point shot beat Brian Foster (L, 17 saves, 12-9-1-1) through a screen to give the Stingrays a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.
The Stingrays added to their lead in the second period as Josh Turnbull carried the puck over the Cincinnati blue line and beat Foster with a high wrist shot, making it 2-0 at 7:58. Then, at 15:11 Derek Keller lit the lamp on the power play with a shot from the left point to give South Carolina a commanding 3-0 lead through 40 minutes.
In the final frame, the Cyclones cashed in on a power play as Maury Edwards blasted in his 7th goal of the season past Stingrays goalie Billy Sauer (W, 33 saves, 5-9-0-2) at the 4:22 mark, pulling the Cyclones within a pair. However, the Rays would regain the three-goal edge at 15:22 when Tyler Shelast snapped a shot into the net at the end of a two-on-one break, making it 4-1. With just over a minute to play, Cincinnati took advantage of a late turnover as rookie Matt Carter broke away and potted his second goal in as many nights, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Unfortunately, the Cyclones were unable to rally as the Stingrays held on to win by the same score.
The Cyclones Radio Network Stars of the Game are as follows:
First Star: Phil Orsekovic (1 goal, 1 assist for South Carolina)
Second Star: Billy Sauer (33 saves, winning goaltender)
Third Star: Tyler Shelast (1 goal, 1 assist for South Carolina)
The Cyclones will wrap up their road trip tomorrow afternoon with a Sunday matinee against the Greenville Road Warriors. Fans can hear all the action of the game on the Cyclones Radio Network (1160-AM, America One) beginning at 3:50pm with the opening face-off to follow at 4:05pm.
The Cyclones will return to U.S. Bank Arena on Wednesday, March 21 when they welcome in the Chicago Express at 7:30pm. It will be the final Wet Wednesday of the season, featuring $1 PBR and Miller High Life. In addition, a pre-game Pucks N Pinot wine tasting event will be available for purchase. Secure your seats now by calling 513.421.PUCK or log on to CyclonesHockey.com. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the season on Facebook and Twitter (@CincyCyclones).
Click here to view tonight's box score.
Cyclones Sunk by Stingrays, 4-2
