NORTH CHARLESTON , S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays took the second game of a two game home series against the Kalamazoo Wings (4-3) Tuesday night at the North Charleston Coliseum. They had lost the first game of the series on Monday night 7-3. The win was in large part orchestrated by their team Captain Matt Scherer who recently returned to the lineup. Scherer a forward has appeared in only ten games this season. Last night he led the way with two goals; his sixth and seventh of the season. Forwards Pierre Luc-O’Brien and Nikita Kashisrky chipped in two assists in the win before a crowd of 2,413. The win raised the team’s record to 9-12-1 (19 points). Todd Ford was in goal for the victory. The ‘Rays have been struggling all season and had been without Scherer for 12 games this season, due to injury. He now has five goals in his last four games, with two multiple games among them. The ‘Rays are having a major problem scoring goals, currently averaging 2.50 goals per game and are among the bottom four teams in the ECHL in this category. Accordingly, his return to the lineup and output are welcome. Interestingly the U.S. born forward has scored his seven goals on just 21 shots on goal; an astounding 0.333 scoring percentage. The 6’0”, 195 lbs, Scherer, age 28, was born in Seattle, Washington. He spent three and a half seasons playing junior hockey in the United States Hockey League to prepare himself for a career at the collegiate level. The Midwestern based USHL, a junior hockey league, will allow the 16 to 20 year old players to maintain their NCAA college hockey eligibility. The USHL provides a first class experience for young players who look to mature between high school and college. They get a real taste what major collegiate and professional hockey will be like in terms of crowd size, atmosphere, travel and the length of the season. Scherer finished his career in the USHL with the Tri City Storm, after a short stint with the Sioux City Musketeers. He went on to play four years at the University of Connecticut, an NCAA Division One hockey program. Scherer increased his goals output each season, finishing with 22 markers his senior season. He scored 62 goals and 105 points in 138 collegiate contests. He turned professional in 2006 and has spent his entire pro-career with the Stingrays. He was a major contributor to the 2008-09 Kelly Cup win by South Carolina, picking up 12 points, including banging home nine playoff goals in 22 games during that successful post-season run. He came off his best pro-season in 2009-10, scoring 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 65 games. So far, he has appeared in 199 games with the ‘Rays since 2006. Scherer was named the team’s seventh Captain in January 2010. In the teams press release on giving him the “C”, Cail MacLean, a former teammate and current coach of the ‘Rays, summed up his reasoning behind the selection, “ Matt has the ability to raise our team’s work rate through his example,” said MacLean. “His consistent hard play is key, but it is leadership and selflessness that make him indispensable.” His return to the lineup, his leadership, and his current scoring binge are a welcome sight to the ‘Rays faithful who are hoping that he will be part of a turn-around from the team’s slow start to date. Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com
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