Stingrays return home, club Swamp Rabbits

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Joe Devin and the South Carolina Stingrays are happy to be back home. After 10 straight games and 28 days on the road, the Stingrays reintroduced themselves to the home crowd at the North Charleston Coliseum with a 5-1 victory over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Saturday night led by a hat trick from Devin. The Stingrays, who also got goals from Joey Leach and Paul Rodrigues on Hockey Heroes for Epliepsy Night, earned their first win in four tries against the Swamp Rabbits this season.

Fueled by the home crowd, South Carolina didn’t waste anytime scoring early in the game. Devin notched his first of three goals just 2:18 into the game. Forward David Pacan centered a pass to Devin in the slot. The forward cut to the right and beat netminder Jeff Malcolm through the five-hole to make it 1-0 South Carolina. 

Devin would strike again in the first period at the 13:17 mark. Defenseman Nick Jones worked the puck to Devin in the slot. He made no-mistake, firing a one-time shot that beat a screened Malcolm to make it 2-0 South Carolina. 

South Carolina took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission as Leach struck for his fourth goal of the season at 14:09 of the opening period. Jordan Kwas won the faceoff back to the left point. Leach took a wrist shot that rolled through Malcomb’s pads and into the net.

The two teams would trade goals in the second period.The Swamp Rabbits cut the Stingrays lead to 3-1 on a Jordan Knackstedt goal at 6:04. That tally would be the lone shot that beat Stingrays netminder Mark Dekanich on the evening. Greenville fired 31 shots on Dekanich, and the goaltender came up strong, stopping 30 shots on the evening and earning the game’s second star.

Devin would complete the hat trick at 9:26 of the second period, banking a shot off the pad of Malcolm and into the net from the goal line. The tally ended Malcolm’s night and gave South Carolina a 4-1 lead.

Rodrigues would score the lone goal of the third period to add an insurance marker for the Stingrays. The forward blew bast the Greenville defense and beat new goaltender P.J. Musico under the left pad to make it 5-1 at 17:42.

After the game the Stingrays auctioned off the purple Hockey Heroes for Epilepsy jerseys worn on Saturday night. Andrew Rowe’s jersey went for a team-best $1,200.