ESTERO, FLA – The Florida Everblades (17-8-3-3) scored a season-high eight goals on Friday night for an 8-3 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays (10-16-3-0) at Hertz Arena.
After multiple chances early on against Everblades goaltender Parker Gahagen, South Carolina’s Ben Holmstrom scored on a short pass from Connor Moore just 3:40 into the action. Nick Isaacson recorded a secondary assist on the play. The Stingrays advantage wouldn’t last much longer thanks to a Levko Koper breakaway goal with 9:45 to go in the first period. Blake Winiecki (11:35) put the Everblades on top 2-1 before Holmstrom connected for his second strike of the game to even the score. John McCarron (18:32) converted from between the circles to put Florida on top once more at 3-2 entering the first intermission.
With one goal and an assist heading into the new stanza, McCarron gave himself a three-point night after collecting a loose puck on the penalty kill and stuffing it home after 61 seconds into period two. The party kept rolling for the Everblades as Alex Aleardi (8:20) made the Stingrays pay for a turnover at the high slot, expanding the lead to 5-2. Captain McCarron (13:12) soon sweetened the deal with his third goal of the night. It was the first hat trick by an Everblades on the 2021-22 season to conclude an eventful middle frame at 6-2.
In the third period, Winiecki clinched his 11th multi-point game of the season by tapping in the puck from the goal line. That advanced the Everblades’ lead to five at 7:07. Joe Pendenza (14:52) added his name to the scoresheet on an odd-man rush for Florida’s second shorthanded marker of the evening. The Stingrays’ Alex Brink padded his stats for an unassisted goal with 1:03 on the clock, but Gahagen closed it out the rest of the way for the 8-3 Everblades win. McCarron was named the first star of the game after finishing with three goals and two assists.
The Everblades and Stingrays round out the weekend with a rematch Saturday night at 7 p.m.
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