Ricci’s hat trick is timely for Stingrays

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – Forward Rob Ricci broke out of a scoring slump last Sunday with a hat trick against the Cincinnati Cyclones. The afternoon clash between the two division leaders in the ECHLs American Conference was won by the Stingrays 6-2. It was a good time for Ricci to regain his scoring touch. The Cyclones are among several teams that are pressing South Carolina for the number one spot in the conference and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. They had taken game one of a two-game series, so Ricci’s timing for his scoring binge was timely in helping the ‘Rays gain a split in the series. The 5’9”, 175-lb, left-handed shooter had scored just one goal and registered three assists in February, after a nice ten point January performance that included six goals. His break out against Cincinnati raised his 2009-10 production totals to 22 goals, 23 assists and 45 points. Three of his goals have come on the penalty kill and he is tied for the league lead among rookies in shorthanded goals with three, while appearing in 62 games.     While Ricci is technically a rookie, he did appear in seven playoff contests last season with the team and was a part of the   ‘Rays’ Kelly Cup win. That victory over the Alaska Aces in seven games brought a third ECHL Championship to the low country.   He also played four games last year with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL before joining South Carolina. He signed initially with Las Vegas shortly after finishing his third season of NCAA Division One hockey with the Merrimac College Warriors. His size and hustle remind some local fans of a past South Carolina favorite, Pierre-Luc O’Brien, who spent two seasons with the ‘Rays, was a vital part of last year’s championship team, but moved on to play ice hockey in Germany this season.   Both are of similar size and like O’Brien, Ricci plays a lot larger than his size.   The 25 year old hails from Brampton, Ontario. He played his junior hockey first in Canada in the Ontario Provincial Junior League (OPJHL) with the Milton Merchants.   The OPJHL is set up so players maintain their U.S. collegiate eligibility.   While with the Merchants, he caught the attention of scouts for the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and subsequently spent two seasons in Iowa honing his skills. The USHL is the only tier-one junior hockey league in the United States. It differs from the major junior leagues in Canada, the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in one major area. Players in the USHL maintain their amateur status and are eligible to play NCAA college hockey.   Individuals who play major junior hockey in the Canadian leagues are considered professionals by the NCAA and therefore are not eligible to play collegiately in the U.S. After   two successful seasons in the USHL, (43 goals, 56 assists, 99 points) and 109 regular season games, Ricci moved on to play three full seasons at Merrimac College located in North Andover, Mass.   The Warriors play in the Hockey East conference.   Hockey East has some of the most storied names in college hockey with member schools such as Boston College, Boston University and Maine.   Ricci played in 99 games at Merrimac ending with 83 points including 34 goals. The rest of the season is a real test for South Carolina. They have five of their remaining nine games against the Florida EverBlades. The ‘Blades (61 games played, 73 points) trail South Carolina (63 games played, 83 points) but have two games in hand and a lot of head-to-head competition in which to gain ground. Florida has gone 7-2-1 over their last ten games and has been playing a lot better than earlier in the season.   South Carolina must also worry about the Charlotte Checkers who lurk just 12 points back of the ‘Rays having played only 59 games.   Then of course they must also look to hold off the Northern Division teams for the overall best conference record. Ricci’s ability to continue scoring can be a big plus in this final stretch. Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at Rob.Huelsman@prohockeynews.com