South Carolina claims game one win on shorthanded goal

ALLEN, Texas – The South Carolina Stingrays defeated the Allen Americans in game one of the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals Sunday afternoon at the Allen Event Center. An enthusiastic crowd of 4,047 was on hand to watch a dandy game between the two clubs where each team showcased its skill for the full 60-minutes.

The Americans looked to be on the right track as they scored just 58-seconds into the game when Trevor Ludwig fired a shot from a very tough angle that banked off of Jeff Jakaitis and into the net. South Carolina roared right back with three unanswered goals, exploiting defensive breakdowns that plagued Allen early in the game. Andrew Rowe scored first, knotting the game at 3:45 before Wayne Simpson extended the Stingrays lead to 3-1 with a pair of goals by the midway point of the period. Allen held the shot count at 8-7 but South Carolina took the 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

The Americans play was more solid in the middle frame and it paid dividends when Gary Steffes brought Allen to within one with his power play goal at 14:23. Tyler Ludwig and Aaron Gens were credited with assists on the play. Shots continued to be low and tight with Allen maintaining the edge at 16-15 through two periods of play.

In the third period, the Americans got the jump on the Stingrays and cashed in again early when Spencer Asuchak brought the game level at the 1:43 mark. The score remained tied for 10-minutes before the Stingrays struck again. A sloppy power play led to a turnover that Sean Dolan didn’t waste when he scored the eventual game winner at 11:30, shorthanded. Shots finished tight with Allen nudging past South Carolina 24-23 after sixty minutes of play.

Game two of the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals continues this Tuesday evening at the Allen Event Center. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:05PM CDT.