Stingrays Fall to Everblades, 4-1

South Carolina drops first of two weekend matchups against Florida

Apr. 11, 2026 at 3:51am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game, with players and the puck fragmented into overlapping angular shapes and planes in a variety of bright colors, conceptually representing the competitive clash between the two teams.The Stingrays' inability to solve the Everblades' goaltender leads to a frustrating divisional loss.Estero Today

The South Carolina Stingrays fell to the Florida Everblades, 4-1, in the first of two consecutive meetings this weekend at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida. The Everblades struck early with a goal just 19 seconds into the game, but the Stingrays responded with a power play goal to tie it. However, Florida regained the lead before the end of the first period and added two more goals in the third to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This was an important early-season matchup between two of the top teams in the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Stingrays and Everblades are expected to be in the hunt for the division title, so this loss puts South Carolina in an early hole against their division rival.

The details

The Everblades opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the game with a goal from Cole Moberg. The Stingrays responded with a power play goal from Zac Funk to tie it at 1-1 midway through the first. But Florida regained the lead before the end of the period and added two more goals in the third to win 4-1.

  • The game was played on Friday, April 11, 2026.
  • The Everblades scored the opening goal just 19 seconds into the first period.
  • The Stingrays scored their lone goal on the power play with 11:14 remaining in the first period.
  • Florida added goals in the third period with 7:40 and an empty-net goal in the final minutes to seal the 4-1 win.

The players

Cole Moberg

A forward for the Florida Everblades who scored the opening goal 19 seconds into the game.

Zac Funk

A forward for the South Carolina Stingrays who scored their lone goal on the power play in the first period.

Jordan Sambrook

A defenseman for the Florida Everblades who scored a third period goal to extend their lead to 3-1.

Reid Duke

A forward for the Florida Everblades who scored an empty-net goal in the final minutes to seal the 4-1 win.

Ty Taylor

The goaltender for the South Carolina Stingrays who made 18 saves in the losing effort.

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What they’re saying

“We had our chances, but just couldn't find the back of the net enough times tonight. We'll look to bounce back tomorrow.”

— Zac Funk, Stingrays Forward

What’s next

The Stingrays and Everblades will meet again on Saturday, April 12, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the second and final regular season matchup between the two teams.

The takeaway

This loss puts the Stingrays in an early hole against their division rival Everblades, who have now taken the season series lead. South Carolina will need to regroup quickly to avoid falling further behind in the standings.