ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades earned three out of four possible points in a pair of home games against division rivals, the South Carolina Stingrays. This gives Florida a total of eight points (3-1-0-2) and puts them in first place in their division.
THURSDAY 10/25/12 – With tight play most of the night, this game went past regulation and overtime and into the shootout. It took five rounds before South Carolina’s Daniel Koger scored to give the Stingrays the extra point.
Florida opened the scoring at the end of the first period. Rookie Corey Trivino posted the first goal of the game and the first of his professional career. The Stingrays quickly matched them less than a minute into the second period as Matt Pistilli found the back of Blades goaltender John Muse’s net. Blades Tommi Kivisto scored his first goal of the season lifting the Blades to a 2-1 lead.
The Rays tied the game at two when Muse chased the puck and left an open net opportunity that Tyler McNeely capitalized on. Each team added another goal, bringing the score to a 4-4 tie at the end of the third. Regulation ended without a goal and headed into a shootout.
While the Blades earned a point, the Stingrays earned two and the win in the 5-4 overtime win over Florida.
FRIDAY 10/26/12 – Friday nights game was more action packed, especially in the first and third period. South Carolina opened up a temporary lead as they scored the first two. Tommy Cross scored on a 5-on-3 power play opportunity. Shortly thereafter Tyler McNeely added a goal to give the Stingrays a two goal lead.
The Blades called a time-out and appeared to be re-energized. They added a pair of their own by Mathieu Roy and Corey Trivino to tie the game at two at the end of the first period.
The Blades took a temporary lead with an impressive short-handed goal by Justin Shugg. The Blades thought they would take the lead to the break, but with just 1.6 seconds left on the clock, Tommy Cross added his second goal. At the end of two, the teams were again tied, this time at three each.
The teams each added another goal to tie at four apiece until late in the period. Another post regulation game seemed likely. However, the Blades once again got charged up and added goals five and six of the evening, courtesy of Aaron Bogosian and Matt Marquardt.
Florida took the two points, while the Rays went to the locker room pointless for the night, with a final 6-4 score for the game in regulation.
The Blades play next on Saturday night (10/27) at Germain Arena and host the Greenville Road Warriors.
Contact the writer at: sharon.weatherhead@prohockeynews.com
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