Stingrays Season Ends with OT Loss to Orlando
April 21, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
South Carolina Stingrays News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. - An overtime goal by Jean Dupuy gave the Solar Bears a 2-1 win over the South Carolina Stingrays in Game 4 of the South Division Semifinals on Saturday night at the Amway Center. The victory ended the series in a 4-0 sweep for the Solar Bears, who advance to the South Division Finals where they will take on the Florida Everblades.
The score of 2-1 was the same for the two teams in three consecutive games and Orlando scored exactly two goals in each of the four contests in the series. Stingrays' goaltender Parker Milner kept things close the entire way for the fourth straight game, making 21 stops in a losing effort.
Cal Heeter held the Stingrays to just one goal for the third time in the series and was perfect in overtime for the second straight game, making a total of 41 saves on the night.
For the fourth consecutive game, neither team was able to score in the opening period.
Orlando broke through in the second and took the initial lead on a power play goal by defenseman Sam Jardine at 11:27. Despite another game in which the Stingrays piled up a majority of the shots on net, the Solar Bears continued to hold their one-goal advantage as the game moved to the third period.
After an early third period penalty to South Carolina's Mason Mitchell had SC on the penalty kill, Patrick Megannety evened up the score at 1-1 with a shorthanded tally just 13 seconds into the Orlando man-advantage. The first career playoff goal for Megannety came after Paul Geiger hit him with a stretch pass from the Rays' own zone. Defender Joey Leach had the second helper on the play, his second assist of the postseason.
For a second straight game, regulation time ended with the squads in a 1-1 tie and overtime was needed to decide a winner.
Dupuy ended the game at 17:12 of the extra session, securing a loose puck that got batted out to the side of the Stingrays net and beating Milner with a wrist shot to his blocker side. Dupuy's only goal of the series came with an assist to defenseman Nolan Valleau.
South Carolina finished 0-for-4 on the man-advantage in the contest, while the Solar Bears were 1-for-8.
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