Shutdown by the Stingrays: the Glads drop a 4-0 decision in Game 3 and look to even the series in Game 4
- 20 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Preview: South Carolina Stingrays vs Atlanta Gladiators (1st round ECHL Playoffs - the series is tied at 1)
Coming into tonight's pivotal Game 3 matchup in the 1st round of the ECHL Playoffs, the South Carolina Stingrays and Atlanta Gladiators come in tied at 1 game apiece. With both teams scoring 1 goal wins (Game 1 is a win for the Stingrays and Game 2 is a win for the Glads), tonight's matchup (April 27, 2026 at 7:10pm EST at the Gas South District) is an opportunity for one team to have some "separation" from each other in what is clearly the most evenly matched playoff series of the opening round (click HERE for our preview).
With both teams having the same number of goals scored after 2 games (6 apiece), the Stingrays look to Justin Nachbaur (1 goal/2 assists/3 points/+1 rating) who is among 5 players with 2 or more points in the series, while the Glads feed off of Chad Nychuk's hot start (1 goal/3 assists/4 points/+2 rating) as he is among 4 players for the team with 2 or more points. In goal, both the Stingrays' Garin Bjorkland (1-1-0-0/.305 goals allowed average/.875 save percentage) and the Glads' Ethan Haider (0-1-0-0/3.15 goals allowed average/.900 save percentage) look to lead their team defenses in hopes of gaining a 2-1 edge in the best-of-7 series.
Recap: South Carolina's 2nd period provides the spark to separate themselves from the Glads to go up in the series (2-1).
In an opening period reminiscent of Game 1, physical play which morphs into small skirmishes is present in the period and throughout the game. With this providing the backdrop for Game 3, South Carolina scores first (the first time they have accomplished this in the series). At the 12:03 mark of the 1st period, Dean Loukus' dribbler finds its way into the net for his 1st goal of the playoffs (assisted by Connor Moore) to give the Stingrays a 1-0 lead.
In the 2nd period, the Stingrays would get some separation from the Glads. They'd take a 2-0 lead on Romain Rodzinski's 1st playoff goal (7:58 of the 2nd period/assisted by Josh Wilkins and Reilly Webb). Later in the period, less than 20 seconds into their power play opportunity, Charlie Combs nets his 3rd goal of the series (13:29 of the 3rd period/assisted by Josh Wilkins and Simon Pinard) to take a 3-0 lead.
The Stingrays would keep things rolling despite the physical forays. At the 12:05 mark of the 3rd period, Charlie Combs scores his 2nd goal of the game and 4th of the playoffs to extend the lead to 4-0 (assisted by D.J. King), as the Stingrays now have a 2-1 series lead going into Game 4.
Post-game: South Carolina takes control of the game in the 2nd period; the Glads look to even the series in Game 4.
Just as South Carolina outshot Atlanta in Game 2, yet Atlanta wins, the tables are turned in Game 3.
The Glads outshoot the Stingrays (30-24), but the Stingrays are more effective on the power play (they convert 1 of 3 opportunities while the Glads are scoreless in 6 opportunities). The penalty count (11 combined) resembles that of Game 1 given the aggressively physical play taking place.
In speaking with the media, Head Coach Matt Ginn notes South Carolina playing with a level of desperation (which is something we may see from Atlanta in Game 4). While he notes the even play during the 1st period and a half, the stretch in the 2nd period plays a key role in tonight's outcome (you may watch his full remarks below):
Although Atlanta is down, they are certainly not out of it.
Notes: You may watch our playoff playlist (click HERE) for in-game snapshots and interviews. The teams resume play on April 28th (7:10pm EST puck drop at the Gas South District) as they continue their best-of-7 series (1st round of the ECHL playoffs); tickets for Game 4 are available (click HERE for details).
Comments