Stingrays Sink Inferno 4-2
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays used four separate goal scorers and a 21-save performance from goaltender Daren Machesney en route to their third consecutive victory over the Columbia Inferno with a 4-2 win at the Carolina Coliseum.
"I liked the end result," South Carolina coach Jason Fitzsimmons said. "Machesney was great tonight and answered the bell with Davis Parley out with the flu. The game wasn't kind to us though as two players, Matt Reid and Chris Chaput left the game with undisclosed injuries."
South Carolina (12-10-2, 26 points) jumped in front at the 7:23 mark on the penalty kill. Marc Busenburg, who was returned by Hershey of the American Hockey League earlier in the week, fed Stephen Werner who notched his fourth goal in three games. Cam McCaffrey also picked up an assist.
Matt Stefanishion made it 2-0 for South Carolina by depositing a centering pass from Busenburg to beat goaltender Robert Gherson at 13:50. Werner also garnered a helper.
Then on a 5-on-3 power play late in the first period, Donny Grover made a pass to Cail MacLean at the side of the Columbia net. MacLean's centering pass ricocheted off an Inferno defenseman and into the net for his eighth of the campaign. An assist also went to Busenburg, which was his third of the contest.
The Stingrays went ahead 4-0 at 12:10 of the second period. Breaking in 2-on-1, Ryan Bennett slid a pass to Cam McCaffrey, who registered his fifth goal of the year.
Columbia (7-12-4, 18 points) tried to mount a comeback in the third. Former Stingrays forward Bryson Busniuk re-directed a Derick Martin shot from the blueline to net his second goal of the year solving Machesney at 12:18. Tyson Marsh, who sent to the Inferno from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, also collected an assist.
Anthony Battaglia, who was playing in his first game after missing 10 straight due to injury, cut the margin to two by notching his fourth of the season from Chris Thompson and Busniuk.
South Carolina went 1-for-6 on the power play, while Columbia was 0-for-8 with the man advantage. Inferno outshot the Stingrays 36-25.
The Stingrays return home for a 7:05 p.m. on Saturday against the Florida Everblades at the North Charleston Coliseum. It's Million Dollar Chuck-A-Puck and Moe's Night sponsored by Moe's Southwest Grill.
Join Mike Kelly, "Voice of the Stingrays" for live play-by-play action, on ESPN Radio 910 The Team and online at
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stingrayshockey.com: Home, courtesy of B2 Networks.
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