Stingrays Routed by Everblades in Penultimate Road Game

South Carolina falls 5-0 to Eastern Conference leaders ahead of Kelly Cup Playoffs

Apr. 12, 2026 at 5:56pm

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An abstract, expressionist painting featuring vibrant, energetic brushstrokes in neon shades of blue, green, and red, capturing the raw intensity and motion of a professional ice hockey game.The Stingrays' lopsided defeat against the conference-leading Everblades exposes the challenges they face as they prepare for the Kelly Cup Playoffs.Estero Today

The South Carolina Stingrays suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Eastern Conference-leading Florida Everblades in their second-to-last road game of the ECHL regular season. The Everblades scored twice in the first period and added three more goals in the second to cruise to the lopsided victory.

Why it matters

The loss drops the Stingrays to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, though they have already clinched a playoff spot. With the Kelly Cup Playoffs around the corner, this one-sided defeat raises questions about the Stingrays' form and ability to compete with the conference's elite teams.

The details

Florida opened the scoring less than a minute into the game through Kyle Betts and added another goal around five minutes later. Oliver Cooper netted the Everblades' third with under two minutes to go in the first period. The Everblades then scored twice in eight seconds midway through the second period to push the lead to 5-0. A scrum in the Stingrays' offensive zone led to 10-minute misconduct penalties for every skater on the ice later in the second period.

  • The game was played on Saturday, April 12, 2026.
  • The Stingrays' final road game of the season is on Friday, April 17, 2026 against the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
  • The Stingrays return home to the Coliseum the following Saturday to take on the Orlando Solar Bears as the regular season winds down.

The players

Kyle Betts

A forward for the Florida Everblades who scored the opening goal of the game.

Oliver Cooper

A forward for the Florida Everblades who scored the third goal of the game.

Seth Eisele

The starting goaltender for the South Carolina Stingrays who was replaced by Jesper Vikman in the second period.

Jesper Vikman

The backup goaltender for the South Carolina Stingrays who replaced Seth Eisele in the second period.

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What’s next

The Stingrays' final road game of the season is on Friday, April 17, 2026 against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. They then return home to the Coliseum the following Saturday to take on the Orlando Solar Bears as the regular season winds down leading up to the Stingrays' 30th trip to the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The takeaway

This lopsided defeat against the Eastern Conference-leading Everblades raises concerns about the Stingrays' form and ability to compete with the top teams in the league as they prepare for the Kelly Cup Playoffs. However, the Stingrays have already clinched a playoff spot, so they will look to use these final regular season games to fine-tune their game and build momentum heading into the postseason.